Public Health Heroes Awards Ceremony

Under the direction of Arnold X.C. Perkins (Alameda County), Wendel C. Brunner (Contra Costa County), and Poki Stewart Namkung (City of Berkeley), the health departments of the East Bay play a special role in the education of future public health professionals by sponsoring more than a dozen UC Berkeley School of Public Health student internships each year. Students are fortunate to be exposed to these three health departments, whose innovative programs and policies set them apart.

For example, in response to a comprehensive health status report that revealed alarming health disparities among different ethnic and racial groups, Alameda County developed Asthma Start, which has already measurably lowered asthma hospitalization rates by working with children and their families to reduce environmental asthma triggers in the home.

Contra Costa Health Services’ anti-smoking initiatives have set a standard for not just the state, but the nation. The department initiated and implemented a campaign that made Contra Costa County the first multi-jurisdictional county in the country to adopt a uniform ordinance restricting smoking in the work site and public place. It also successfully promoted a Tobacco-Free Youth ordinance, prohibiting all tobacco advertising near schools and playgrounds.

One of only three California cities with its own health department, the City of Berkeley has taken action through its Public Health Department to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities through programs that promote the value of breast feeding as a healthier alternative for both mothers and children; prevent low birth weights by improving access to prenatal care, nutrition education, and substance abuse treatment; and offer free dental care to uninsured children enrolled in the public schools.

Award Presenter

Dion Aroner has more than 30 years of state government experience. She was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served as chief of staff to Assemblyman Tom Bates from 1972 to 1996. Prior to that position, she worked as a social worker with the Alameda County Department of Social Services. During her tenure in Sacramento, Aroner worked closely on issues such as child care, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and education. Aroner is currently legislator-in-residence at the UC Berkeley Center on Politics and a lecturer/visiting scholar at the Institute of Industrial Relations.

The Challenge: Counteracting Health Disparities

The 20th century saw substantial improvements in the overall health of the nation. However minority populations lag far behind the national average in important areas such as HIV/AIDS infection rates; cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke mortalities; diabetes incidence; immunization rates; and infant mortality from low birth weights and premature delivery.

In order to make healthy lifestyle choices, people must have opportunities to obtain reliable health information. To maintain a healthy diet and to exercise, they must have access to fresh produce, unprocessed foods, and safe places for recreation and physical activity. To avoid exposure to environmental harm and violence, they must be able to afford to live in neighborhoods free of air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and elevated criminal activity. To sustain good health, they need access to affordable health care.

The School of Public Health Responds

School of Public Health students consistently report that one of the most valuable aspects of their graduate education is the time they spend in an internship, learning to bring what they’ve learned to communities of people in need. Each year many alumni acting as preceptors help ensure the preparedness and capacity for success of each new generation of public health professionals.

The School’s Center for Family and Community Health addresses this need for targeted intervention, focusing its efforts on health promotion and disease prevention through programs directed at families, neighborhoods, and communities. Other outreach programs include the Joint Medical Program’s Suitcase Clinic, offering free health services to Bay Area homeless and low-income communities, and the Bay Area Health Professions Partnership Initiative, which encourages middle and high school students to pursue health professions.

The School’s Center for Community Wellness strives to reduce health disparities and create hopeful, empowered communities by disseminating research-driven information on health-related topics through its many publications. The Wellness Guide, which has reached more than 1.3 million high-risk families, offers advice on how to stay well and where to find help on a wide range of health-related topics. The center also publishes guides that address the specific needs of California’s new parents and HMO members.

Examples of faculty work examining racial and socioeconomic factors include research on health disparities as they relate to breast, cervical, and prostate cancer diagnosis and mortality; adolescent obesity; asthma among inner city children; use of child safety car seats; and health as a product of not just medical care, but also healthy environments and community involvement.

	2004 Organizational Hero The East Bay's Health Departments: Alameda County Public Health Department; Contra Costa Health Services; and the City of Berkeley Public Health Division	Other 2004 Heroes International Larry Brilliant, M.D., M.P.H. National Steven A. Schroeder, M.D. Regional Dolores Huerta
2004 Organizational Hero -The East Bay's Health Departments Under the direction of Arnold X.C. Perkins (Alameda County), Wendel C. Brunner (Contra Costa County), and Poki Stewart Namkung (City of Berkeley), the health departments of the East Bay play a special role in the education of future public health professionals by sponsoring more than a dozen UC Berkeley School of Public Health student internships each year. Students are fortunate to be exposed to these three health departments, whose innovative programs and policies set them apart. For example, in response to a comprehensive health status report that revealed alarming health disparities among different ethnic and racial groups, Alameda County developed Asthma Start, which has already measurably lowered asthma hospitalization rates by working with children and their families to reduce environmental asthma triggers in the home. Contra Costa Health Services’ anti-smoking initiatives have set a standard for not just the state, but the nation. The department initiated and implemented a campaign that made Contra Costa County the first multi-jurisdictional county in the country to adopt a uniform ordinance restricting smoking in the work site and public place. It also successfully promoted a Tobacco-Free Youth ordinance, prohibiting all tobacco advertising near schools and playgrounds. One of only three California cities with its own health department, the City of Berkeley has taken action through its Public Health Department to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities through programs that promote the value of breast feeding as a healthier alternative for both mothers and children; prevent low birth weights by improving access to prenatal care, nutrition education, and substance abuse treatment; and offer free dental care to uninsured children enrolled in the public schools. Award Presenter Dion Aroner has more than 30 years of state government experience. She was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served as chief of staff to Assemblyman Tom Bates from 1972 to 1996. Prior to that position, she worked as a social worker with the Alameda County Department of Social Services. During her tenure in Sacramento, Aroner worked closely on issues such as child care, mental health, substance abuse treatment, and education. Aroner is currently legislator-in-residence at the UC Berkeley Center on Politics and a lecturer/visiting scholar at the Institute of Industrial Relations. The Challenge: Counteracting Health Disparities The 20th century saw substantial improvements in the overall health of the nation. However minority populations lag far behind the national average in important areas such as HIV/AIDS infection rates; cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke mortalities; diabetes incidence; immunization rates; and infant mortality from low birth weights and premature delivery. In order to make healthy lifestyle choices, people must have opportunities to obtain reliable health information. To maintain a healthy diet and to exercise, they must have access to fresh produce, unprocessed foods, and safe places for recreation and physical activity. To avoid exposure to environmental harm and violence, they must be able to afford to live in neighborhoods free of air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and elevated criminal activity. To sustain good health, they need access to affordable health care. The School of Public Health Responds School of Public Health students consistently report that one of the most valuable aspects of their graduate education is the time they spend in an internship, learning to bring what they’ve learned to communities of people in need. Each year many alumni acting as preceptors help ensure the preparedness and capacity for success of each new generation of public health professionals. The School’s Center for Family and Community Health addresses this need for targeted intervention, focusing its efforts on health promotion and disease prevention through programs directed at families, neighborhoods, and communities. Other outreach programs include the Joint Medical Program’s Suitcase Clinic, offering free health services to Bay Area homeless and low-income communities, and the Bay Area Health Professions Partnership Initiative, which encourages middle and high school students to pursue health professions. The School’s Center for Community Wellness strives to reduce health disparities and create hopeful, empowered communities by disseminating research-driven information on health-related topics through its many publications. The Wellness Guide, which has reached more than 1.3 million high-risk families, offers advice on how to stay well and where to find help on a wide range of health-related topics. The center also publishes guides that address the specific needs of California’s new parents and HMO members. Examples of faculty work examining racial and socioeconomic factors include research on health disparities as they relate to breast, cervical, and prostate cancer diagnosis and mortality; adolescent obesity; asthma among inner city children; use of child safety car seats; and health as a product of not just medical care, but also healthy environments and community involvement.