Emma's Field Trip to the Alameda County Public Health Department

This afternoon, I was invited by Pam Willow, a legislative analyst at the Alameda County Public Health Department, to sit in on one of the Department's Legislative Council meetings. For all of you public health policy wonks, this was heavenly. The goal of this Council is to raise awareness of public health issues throughout the County, and to ensure that public health policies and programs are appropriately targeted to community needs. The Council is an engine within the department for legislative advocacy and the development of effective health policy. It is the only council of its kind within any of Alameda County's departments, and Ms. Willow was not sure if a similar council exists anywhere else in the country. On the agenda today was the Council's 2009 legislative platform, which is to include issues such as fighting health inequities and chronic disease, reducing inequities in HIV/AIDS, and promoting a healthier built environment. If you want more information about the Legislative Council, you can access their website here: http://www.acphd.org/user/services/AtoZ_PrgDtls.asp?PrgId=55.