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Purchase Your Tickets by THIS FRIDAY: Join Us for MPHA's Spring Awards Breakfast on June 7th!
MPHA's 11th annual awards breakfast, Our Health Our Future is only a week away!  Please join MPHA and special guest Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz as we honor Barbara Ferrer, Andrew Balder, Steven Fischer and Lisa Renee Holderby-Fox for their leadership and commitment to public health. Tickets are going fast! Please purchase your tickets by this Friday, May 31st, to guarantee your spot at the breakfast. We'd love to see you there!
For more information on tickets and sponsorship, please visit our website or contact Kara Keenan at(857) 263-7072 ext.113. |
Victories in State Budget Debate
Over the last two months, the House and the Senate have been hard at work crafting the fiscal year 2014 state budget. It has been another challenging year for public health funding, especially for those core public health protections that we all rely on but seldom pause to think about - things like food protection, infectious disease control, and health care quality inspections.
However, thanks to MPHA, our partners, and our legislative champions, we have secured significant victories in both the House and Senate to increase or protect millions of dollars in public health funding. Read On |
Prevention Trust Nears Launch; Governor Names MPHA's Toby Fisher to Advisory Board
The Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund was once just an idea. Last year it was passed into law. Later this summer, we expect the program to officially launch.
Earlier this spring, Governor Patrick appointed MPHA Executive Director Toby Fisher to the Prevention and Wellness Advisory Board, which will advise the Department of Public Health (DPH) as they roll out the Trust. The Advisory Board membership - nearly complete after some delays in appointments - is expected to hold their first meeting in the next several weeks. Read On |
Momentum Builds on Zoning Reform for Healthy Communities
Momentum is growing on Beacon Hill and across the state to reform our antiquated zoning and planning laws which too often impede the development of healthy communities. In the last month, we've rallied at the State House, testified before legislative committees, and gained visibility across the state. Read On
MPHA's Toby Fisher stands with Rep. Kulik, Sen. Wolf, Sen. Chandler, and Sen. Eldridge at a press event for zoning reform at the State House |
Transporation Funding Debate Enters Final Stage - Still Time to Take Action!
The campaign to increase funding for transportation options - including walking, biking, and public transit - is in its final stages, as a Conference Committee works to reconcile bills passed in both the House and Senate earlier this spring. MPHA's work building new partnerships and educating policymakers about the health implications of transportation has had an important and meaningful impact on this debate.
MPHA and our Act FRESH partners have worked hard to recruit 70 new supporters of our campaign, turned out in force to make our case to the Joint Committee on Transportation, attended regional transportation forums across the state, and met with newspaper editorial boards in the Berkshires, Worcester, New Bedford, and the Cape. On March 25th, we delivered a letter signed by two dozen organizations in support of the Active Streets Bill. We've also had Op-Eds published in numerous regional media outlets, including the Worcester Business Journal, the Gloucester Times, the Brockton Sunday Enterprise, the Fall River Herald News, and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
Final decisions are being made now, and your voice can make a difference - please read on to learn more and take action! |
MPHA Receives $35,000 Grant from The Boston Foundation
MPHA was recently awarded a grant of $35,000 by the Boston Foundation. The grantwill be used for general operating support and to advance MPHA's policy priorities for a healthier Commonwealth. "We're very appreciative of the ongoing support provided by The Boston Foundation," said MPHA Executive Director Toby Fisher. "This grant will provide allow to continue monitoring implementation of the Prevention Trust, advancing healthy transportation and zoning policies, and protecting state funding for public health." Read On |
Act FRESH Advocates for Healthy Food Access
MPHA and the Act FRESH Campaign are working hard to improve access to healthy and affordable food - in supermarkets, corner stores, farmer's markets, and even  mobile markets. In May, the Act FRESH Campaign made our case before the legislature's Committee on Community Development and Small Business in support of H168, "An Act to Expand Access to Healthy Foods and Create the Massachusetts Food Trust." This bill, sponsored by Representative Linda Dorcena Forry, would set up a healthy food financing program to support the development, expansion, or renovation of healthy food retailers. (We are also supporting a similar bill by Senator Michael Moore which is being considered by a different committee.) The bill is based on the recommendations of the Grocery Access Task Force, a group of public health, food retail, economic development, and other civic leaders who came together over the last two years. We are proud to partner with The Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Food Association, among others, in this effort. Read On |
Event: Massachusetts Health Council's Annual Meeting Breakfast - June 18th
Join the Massachusetts Health Council on Tuesday, June 18th, at their Annual Meeting Breakfast from 7:30 a.m.- 10 a.m. at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The  program is titled: Chapter 224 of the Acts of 2012, Improving the Quality of Health Care and Reducing Costs through Transparency, Efficiency and Innovation: Can We Achieve the Benchmarks?, and will feature keynote speaker Dr. Stuart Altman, the Board Chairman of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Read On |
Event: Complete Streets Trainings - June 6, 20, and 26
Join the Baystate Roads program for a series of workshops titled Complete Streets, Municipal Right of Way, and Title VI. The workshop will walk you through the basics  of complete streets and municipal Right of Way (ROW) process from start to finish. It will also provide an orientation to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related state obligations, with a focus on protections these laws afford members of the public and the methodologies used to ensure diverse and compliant public participation in the project development process. For more information and to sign up for this event, please click here or visit Baystate Roads' Facebook page.
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The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) is the state's leading voice for public health. As a statewide membership organization, we engage communities in advocacy to protect and improve the health of all the Commonwealth's residents. Our focus is on preventing disease and injury. For more information visit us at www.mphaweb.org or call 857.263.7072
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