Dear Ally and Partner
It is no exaggeration to say that 2019 was a year of important victories for those of us committed to health equity.
- After the launch of the Massachusetts Food Trust Program in late 2018, this past year the program provided critical funding to 12 local food retailers in 7 municipalities across the state – increasing access to healthy food for more than 470,000 people.
- In partnering with Transportation for Massachusetts as co-chairs of the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition, we won increased funding for RTAs in this year’s state budget. This protected critical transportation services — which provide access to jobs, groceries, education programs, social services, child care, medical appointments, and substance use disorder treatment for more than 34 million residents of 262 Massachusetts cities and towns.
- With a broad coalition of partners in the Alliance for Community Health Integration, we developed the “Massachusetts Principles for Healthy and Affordable Housing” and secured more than 50 endorsements from hospitals, community health centers, and other organizations. This is a critical step forward in our effort to mobilize healthcare leaders and institutions to address social determinants of health – including the affordable housing crisis.
- Working with key legislative allies, we filed the State Action for Public Health Excellence (SAPHE) Act, recruited more than 60 legislative sponsors, and secured an initial round of funding. This bill will ensure that all residents receive high-quality public health services, regardless of their ZIP Code. Our current system depends on each municipality to deliver essential services, from enforcing housing codes to overseeing the safety of restaurants and organizing flu vaccine clinics. We need to establish minimum standards, ensure training is available, and encourage collaboration where appropriate. These improvements will help save lives and keep communities healthy!
These are just a few of the successes we can count from 2019. But none of these accomplishments would have been possible without you. So, to each of you who worked with us, partnered with us, lent your thinking and voice and financial support to our work, thank you. We are so grateful.
You should also be aware that this has been a year of change and growth within MPHA. In addition to moving our office in January 2019 to a new space in Boston, we changed our fiscal year – which means our financial reporting reflects a 15-month budget. Our Board and Policy Council have also embarked on a new strategic planning process which will be completed in spring 2020, and we look forward to sharing with you the results of that process as we recommit ourselves to a focus on health equity and justice.
Of course, there is still so much to be done as we continue towards our vision of a Commonwealth where everyone has an opportunity for health and wellbeing. In the year ahead, there is much to look forward to, and also many challenges to face. We are lucky to have our allies and partners with us for this work.
With gratitude,
Carlene Pavlos Jodie Silverman
Executive Director Board President