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This course is BEING taught
WINTER 2004
Information is current as of 10/22/03

Advocating for Health I

Dates:  January 14, 2004 to March 17, 2004 (Elective Session 3)

Elective is open to T1s, T2s and T4s  

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. Upon completion of this course, students may elect to take Advocating for Health II.

Course Objectives:  

I.              Understand the connection between the diverse biological and social, political, and economic factors that influence health

II.           Gain perspective on the health professional’s role in addressing these diverse factors

III.         Gain perspective on practical organizing and advocacy skills and how to apply them to create positive change

Syllabus and Weekly Objectives:

Jan. 9:        Overview of Health, Human Rights and Social Justice

Daniel Bausch, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans LA

1.      Introduction: Course contents and requirements

2.      Understand the interrelatedness of biological health with concepts of human rights and social justice

3.      Introduce students to efforts and accomplishments of existing healthcare advocacy groups

Jan. 16:      Liberation Medicine

Lanny Smith, Residency Program in Social Medicine and Primary Care, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY

1.      Define Liberation Medicine as a specific approach to activism in medicine

2.      Learn about the history of the Liberation Medicine movement

Jan. 23:      Medical Activism in NOLA

                  Barbara Major, St. Thomas Health Service, New Orleans LA

1.      Learn about public health and social issues unique to New Orleans

2.      Understand the strengths and weaknesses of public and private sector approaches to NOLA’s public health issues

Jan. 30:      Legislation, Campaigns, and Using the Media

                  Lecturer TBA

Learn what media advocacy is and understand its use as a tool for public health advocacy.

1.      Assess the advocacy intervention points in the policymaking process.

2.      Understand the legislative, administrative, and judicial role in policymaking and campaigning, with an emphasis on issues specific to NOLA

Feb. 6:       Community Building and Primary Care

Daniel Bausch, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans LA

1.      Learn about the history of the Community Oriented Primary Care Movement, particularly Alma Ata, the People’s Health Assembly 2000 and the Cuban Health System

Feb. 13:     Research-Based Health Activism

Paul Farmer, Program in Infectious Disease and Social Change, Department of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

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

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

Feb. 20:     Mardi Gras preparation-No class scheduled

Feb. 27:     Global Concerns and Interrelatedness of Disease

                  Ruth Berggren, Tulane Medical Center , Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, New Orleans LA

1.      Understand Poverty Medicine

2.      Understand the issues common to AIDS in Africa and AIDS in NOLA

3.      Learn about issues relevant to AIDS in NOLA

March 5:    Coalition Building and Grass Roots Advocacy

                  Glenn Schneider , Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, Health Care for All Coalition, Baltimore , MD

1.      Understand the role of community organizing, coalition building, and voter education in public health advocacy

2.      Gain sensitivity to the interpersonal issues involved in working with communities.

3.      Further understand the components of a public health advocacy campaign, with an emphasis on issues specific to the NOLA community.

Advocating for Health II

Dates: This course is available during all elective sessions, beginning March 15, 2004

Course Directors:  Drs. Daniel Bausch and Cathy Lazarus

Elective is open to T1s, T2s, and T4s

Prerequisite:  Advocating for Health I

Grading: Pass/Fail based on participation and final written report

Course Description:

This elective is composed of an independent practicum in which students will gain first-hand exposure to health advocacy in action and be required to think creatively about solutions.  Students will select from and participate in one of a number of on-going community-based projects in which Tulane faculty are involved.  Alternatively, students may create their own practicum, subject to identification of an appropriate field mentor and the approval of the course director.  Students will be expected to be actively involved on a weekly basis for eight weeks.  Their specific role and the number of hours spent per week must be approved in advance by both the field mentor and the course director.  The field mentor will grade the student pass/fail at the end of the practicum.  In addition, students must submit a paper of 5-10 type-written pages in which the practicum experience is summarized, the health problem detailed in all its determinants-biological, social, political, and economic-and a solution advocated. 

Course Objective: 

Apply practical organizational, research, and advocacy themes presented in Advocating for Health I to complex “real world” health problems

Choices of Practicum Sites and Field Mentors:

TBA

In order to receive credit for this elective, students must meet all of the following requirements:

• The student files a brief typewritten prospectus of the proposed project with the Office of Student Affairs at the beginning of the semester in which the work is to be done.
• The prospectus includes the number of hours to be spent on the project each week and in what sessions the work will be done.
• The prospectus must include the signed approvals of the instructor supervising the project and the chairman of the department in which the project is to be done.
• The prospectus is reviewed and approved by Dr. Bausch.
• The student submits a brief typewritten summary of the completed work to the Office of Student Affairs. The summary must show the instructor's rating of the project as "Pass" or "Fail" and must be signed by both the instructor and the chairman.
• Prospectus and Summary forms are available online at http://www.som.tulane.edu/departments/studentaffairs/Electives/electinfo.html#require