• Worst Pills, Best Pills



• Health Letter



• Health Links



• Activist Courses



• Take Action!



• Drug Safety



• Healthcare Delivery



• Medical Devices



• Food Safety



• Occupational Health

Tulane University of Medicine

Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH&TM
Email: dbausch@tulane.edu

Course last offered: Spring 2008

Page last updated: October 29, 2008

Advocating for Health

Dates: March 5-May 7, 2008 (Elective Session 4), Wednesdays 3:00-5:00, JBJ 504

Course Director: Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH&TM
Associate Professor
Department of Tropical Medicine, SL-17
J. Bennett Johnston Building
Phone: (504) 988-6368
Fax: (504) 988-6686
Email:  dbausch@tulane.edu

Grading: Pass/Fail based on attendance and class participation

Course Description:

Students will participate in weekly discussions with local and national professionals in the health sciences who are also strong health advocates.  In addition to their roles as clinicians and scientists, the speakers stress the importance of addressing the underlying social, political, and economic factors influencing health. Speakers will talk about their motivations for becoming health advocates, as well as cover basic advocacy skills such as strategy development and media relations.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the connection between the diverse biological and social, political, and economic factors that influence health
• Gain perspective on the health professional’s role in addressing these diverse factors
• Gain perspective on practical organizing and advocacy skills and how to apply them to create positive change

Tentative Syllabus and Weekly Objectives:

March 12:  Overview of Health, Human Rights and Social Justice

Daniel Bausch

Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

• Course contents and requirements
• Understand the interrelatedness of biological health with concepts of human rights and social justice
• Historical perspective on health advocacy movements
• Introduction to efforts and accomplishments of existing healthcare advocacy groups

March 19: Spring Break-No Class

March 26: No class

April 2: Social Justice in the Provision of Health Services

Ravi Vadlamudi, Medical Director

Common Ground Health Clinic, New Orleans, LA

• Learn about the history of the Common Ground health clinic
• Understand the elements of just and equitable patient care and distribution of services

April 9: Medical Activism in NOLA

Barbara Major, Consultant and Specialist in Community Outreach

St. Thomas Clinic, New Orleans LA

• Learn about public health and social issues unique to New Orleans
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of public and private sector approaches to NOLA’s public health issues

April 19*: Liberation Medicine

Lanny Smith, Director of Residency Program in Social Medicine and Primary Care; Founder and Past President, Doctors for Global Health

Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY

• Define Liberation Medicine as a specific approach to activism in medicine
• Learn about the history of the Liberation Medicine movement

April 23: Research-Based Health Activism

Daniel Bausch

Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

• Learn practical approaches to developing and conducting research-based projects designed to engender health activism

• Learn how other health professionals have conducted research projects to effect policy or change in the health care system

April 30: Coalition Building and Grass Roots Advocacy

Glen Schneider, Director of Health Policy and Planning

Howard County Health Department, Columbia, MD

• Understand the role of community organizing, coalition building, and voter education in public health advocacy
• Gain sensitivity to the interpersonal issues involved in working with communities
• Further understand the components of a public health advocacy campaign, with an emphasis on issues specific to the NOLA community

May 7: Cancelled

May 14: Crisis and Opportunity: Promoting Community-Based Health Care in New Orleans

Adi Nadimpalli, Assistant Medical Director

Tulane Community Health Center at Covenant House

• TBA

more resources

Because Public Citizen does not accept funds from corporations, professional associations or government agencies, we can remain independent and follow the truth wherever it may lead. But that means we depend on the generosity of concerned citizens like you for the resources to fight on behalf of the public interest. If you would like to help us in our fight, click here.