2018 Annual Report

Dear Friend and Partner

Dear Friend and Partner,

2018 has been an exciting year at MPHA. Together with partners like you, we have accomplished real victories that mean something in the lives and health of all the residents of Massachusetts. Whether through advocating for funding in the state budget, for improved policies with the executive branch, or the passage of new legislation, we know that our joint accomplishments answer real needs and push the needle toward health equity in the Commonwealth.

Now is a time to say thank you. Thank you to each of you who have worked with us, thought with us, collaborated with us, and given to us. We are truly grateful.

Yet, these are complex times. MPHA’s social justice mission of eliminating health inequities and creating healthy communities for everyone in the Commonwealth stands at a pressure point between opportunity and backlash. The language of the “Social Determinants of Health,” and the recognition that the daily conditions of life largely shape our health, is now firmly established with policy makers, the health care system, and advocates alike. At the same time, the national dialogue and federal policy efforts threaten the most fundamental values on which our mission is built.

Now is also a time for action! January 2019 marks a new legislative session and MPHA and our supporters will be there to advocate for policies and programs that address the impacts of racism, combat poverty, promote healthy and vibrant communities, and have immediate and long-term effects on the lives of people living in this state.

I hope you enjoy reading some of the past year’s successes in this report. And I hope the victories that are described remind you of the power of collective action and leave you excited for the work ahead.

With gratitude,

Carlene Pavlos
Executive Director

Your stories, our campaigns

Accessing healthy and affordable food

Over the past couple of years, Revere has been growing its Food Economy to ensure that all residents have access to healthy affordable food. The Massachusetts Food Trust will provide an opportunity to fund the growth of local retailers such as the Revere Farmers Market, which has been transforming into a small food business incubator and space for new jobs and economic development.

Dimple Rana
Revere on the Move

Championed by MPHA, the Massachusetts Food Trust Program officially launched in fall 2018. The Massachusetts Food Trust Program will use capital funds to seed new and expanded healthy food retailers and local food enterprises in low- and moderate- income communities that currently lack access and will create strong local job opportunities.

Advancing community health integration

MPHA’s leadership of the Alliance for Community Health Integration has been extremely helpful to our goal of advancing community health workers as a fully recognized and sustained part of the workforce. What’s more, because of MPHA’s vision, ACHI has quickly become a powerful collective voice in health care policymaking, ensuring that the social determinants of health are front and center in discussions with hospitals, ACOs, MassHealth, and the Legislature.

Lissette Blondet
Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers

The Alliance for Community Health Integration launched in 2018. In the first year, it has been successful in advocating for more substantive incorporation of the social determinants of health (SDOH) in the Attorney General’s updated Community Benefit Guidelines for hospitals, securing a state budget amendment ensuring public availability of MassHealth data on the SDOH, providing informational trainings for Community Benefits Advisory Council members who work outside the health care system, and bringing the voice of public health and consumer advocates to the table on the implementation of health care reform.

Enhancing transportation equity

I always tell my children “have a plan B.” It’s not because I expect plan A to fail, it’s for just in case. So when my RTA in Worcester faced a budget that might not be met, meaning service cuts and no weekend service, I had to go into Plan B mode. Better transportation right now means having options. I am a Paratransit user and disabled so my options are already limited. It’s important that our transportation system work for everyone and that the needs of all transit users are considered by policy makers so that service meets need.

Nancy Garr-Colzie
Transportation Planning Advisory Group

The Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC), established in 2018 and co-led by MPHA and Transportation for Massachusetts, was crucial in securing increased funding in the FY19 state budget in order to maintain current transportation options for cities and towns beyond Metro Boston.

MPHA also led 11 informational and advocacy sessions on transportation policies around the state, engaging and educating community leaders on how to take action to improve transportation options. Improved transportation was identified as an essential need in virtually all of the community health needs assessments in the Commonwealth.

Strengthening local public health

Most people expect clean water, clean air, safe food, and protection from communicable diseases. From addressing childhood obesity to the opioid crisis, our residents expect someone will lead the efforts. Local health departments are often the primary guardians of these expectations, and the chief health strategists to lead prevention initiatives. As a diverse community, our work in Framingham is especially important, since many of our residents may not be able to advocate for themselves and are at risk for health inequities.

Sam Wong
Framingham Public Health Department

Through the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health, stakeholders across the state have been engaged and educated on the need to strengthen the local public health system in the Commonwealth. The Special Commission, created through a MPHA-led legislative campaign, will release a final report in early 2019 that will provide the foundation for further advocacy.

Representative Aaron Vega, Massachusetts House of Representatives

David Bryant, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations

It’s a true honor and privilege to work with MPHA. They champion the issues that affect us all on a daily basis: food access, preventive health care models, and transportation. We, the legislature and MPHA, work together to raise up our communities and build a healthy future for everyone in the Commonwealth.

Representative Aaron Vega
Massachusetts House of Representatives

As policy director for the Massachusetts Association of CDCs, I have been pleased to work with the MPHA team over the past few years as we have sought additional state investment for the MA Food Trust Program. I love policy pursuits, but the joy in this endeavor – among others to emerge from this cooperation – has been the strong connection we have forged as partners in our shared efforts to achieve meaningfully positive community health impacts for families across the Commonwealth.

David Bryant
Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations

Board and Staff List

2018 MPHA Officers

President

Jessica Collins, MS
Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

Vice President

Jodie Silverman, MPA
Anne McHugh, MS
Boston Public Health Commission

Treasurer

Janet Lehman, MS, MBA,
KPMG

MPHA Board Members

Cristina Booker, MPH
Abt Associates

Ray Considine, MSW
Independent Consultant

Soloe Dennis, MS, MEP
Springfield Department of Health and Human Services

Deborah Dickerson

Clara Chan Farnsworth, MBA
Wellington Management

Claude Jacob, MPH
Cambridge Public Health Department

Stewart Landers, JD, MCP
John Snow, Inc.

Keith Mahoney, JD
The Boston Foundation

Neil Maniar, PhD
Northeastern University

Heather McMann, MBA
Groundwork Lawrence

Vinay Seth Mohta, M.Eng
Kyruus, Inc.

Roeshana Moore-Evans, CRA
The Broad Institute at MIT

Jasmine Naylor, MS, MBA
Caring Health Center

Aswita Tan-McGrory, MBA
The Disparities Solution Center, MGH

MPHA Staff

Carlene Pavlos, MTS
Executive Director

Jodie Silverman, MPA
Interim Executive Director

Veronica Cañas, MTS
Operations Associate

Andrea Freeman, MS
Field Director

Melanie O’Malley
Communications & Policy Manager

Alexa Piacenza
Events and Membership Manager

Maddie Ribble, MPH
Director of Public Policy & Campaign Strategy

Kristina Kimani
Coalition and Advocacy Manager

Nopalzin Torres
Director of Finance and Operations

Mission

Man holding a blackboard that says: I will take action for public health by standing in support by vulnerable populations.

The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) is a private, non-profit 501c3 statewide membership organization that promotes a healthy Massachusetts through advocacy, education, community organizing, and coalition-building.

We are the catalyst for change, eliminating health inequities and creating healthy communities for all.

Financial Snapshot

$640,469
67% of total revenue

$681,520
71% of total expenses

Donor List

Major Donors

Jessica Collins

Ray Considine

Stephen Crosby

Deborah Dickerson

Paul Fanikos

Stewart Landers

Janet Lehman

Andre Leroux

Lynne and Bruce Man

Anne McHugh

Vinay Seth Mohta

Abigail Pogrebin

Jodie Silverman

Janice Sullivan

Aswita Tan-McGrory

Erin Wentz

Monthly Donors

Rebecca Balder

Katherine Flaherty

Katherine Ginnis

Roeshana Moore-Evans

Debra Paraboschi

Carlene Pavlos

Susan Sommer

Event Sponsors

Abt Associates

Alexander Aronson Finning CPAs

Aetna Foundation

Al DeMaria

Association for Behavioral Healthcare

Baystate Financials

Baystate Health

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beveridge Family Foundation

Boston Medical Center

Boston Medical Center Healthnet Plan

Boston Children’s Hospital

Boston Public Health Commission

Boston University School of Public Health

Boston University School of Social Work

Cambridge Concord Associates

Cambridge Health Alliance

Clark University Public Health Concentration

CommunicateHealth

Deborah Klein Walker

Delta Dental

DentaQuest Foundation

Denterlein Worldwide

Dr. Neil Maniar and Dr. Ami Bhatt

Geoff Wilkinson

Global Public Health Program at Boston College

The Graduate School of Worcester State University

Greater Boston Food Bank

Greater Lowell Health Alliance

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center

Harbor Health Services

Harvard Medical School

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Health Care For All

Health Resources in Action

HMEA

Home City Housing

KPMG

Lahey Health

Lasell College

Legal Sea Foods, Inc.

Massachusetts Fishing Partnership

Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging

Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement

Massachusetts Medical Society

Massachusetts Nurses Association

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS)

Montachusett Opportunity Council

Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Partners HealthCare

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

Plymouth Area Coalition

Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

Road Scholars

Smith, Costello, and Crawford

Southcoast Health Systems

The Boston Foundation

The Irene E. and George Davis Foundation

The EOS Foundation

Tremont Strategies Group

Triangle Inc.

Tufts Health Plan Foundation

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine

Tufts University School of Medicine

University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Organizational Members

AIDS Action Committee

Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs

American Heart/American Stroke Association

Association for Behavioral Healthcare

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals

Blue Cross Blue Shield Corporate Citizen

Boston Public Health Commission

Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Citizens Housing and Planning Association

Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals

Cooley Dickinson Hospital

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Fenway Health

Greater Lowell Health Alliance

Groundwork Lawrence

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation

Heywood Hospital

John Snow, Inc.

Justice Resource Institute

Massachusetts Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Massachusetts Association of Health Boards

Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

MetroWest Health Foundation, Inc.

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts