Health and Human Services Administration Endorses 20 Panels at ASPA Denver 2018

Health and Human Services Administration (HHSA) Section Endorsements of ASPA Panels

        Julie Ann Racino, ASPA 2017-2018 Health and Human Services Executive Committee, visited three panels endorsed by HHSA on Friday, March 9, 2018. ASPA Committee Chair Alexander Henderson of Long Island University served as reviewer on the selection of the panels for the Annual Conference held in Denver, Colorado. 

       The first panel was titled Local Government: Policy Challenges and Solutions and was co-endorsed by the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management. Bakry Elmedni of Long Island University stunned this reviewer on the Flint Water Crisis as an arrest of 9 Michigan officials, including criminal manslaughter charges. In addition, the Detroit Water and Sewer Department was "transferred" to the Karagandi Water Authority under a now "often used provision" of emergency management in governments. The second presentation continued to Flint's revenue problems involving "mass bill collection", liens on houses, and declining cities. 

       The third speaker discussed social equity as voting patterns and turnouts in states, and noted "extreme policy positions" at the elections. Voting by "people of color" was disproportionately weak with "the homeless excluded from voting" by lack of state-issued ids. The speaker cited 13 closed primary states in the US., and a drop of 35% of the Democratic party between 2012-2016. The fourth speaker cited the book Just Cities (2011) and a proposed 2013 Neighborhood Park Alliance in New York and Portland, Oregon. "Fund transfers" were discussed as 9 programs, $130 million for 35 underserved parks (Parks Equity Framework), and reallocation of 1/3rd of funds through another Parent Equity Fund. 

       The second panel was titled Practical Advice for Supporting and Promoting LGBTQIA Social Equity in Public Administration and was held from 1:15 to 2:45 pm in Mineral Hall G at the Hyatt Regency. The LGBT Section was newly endorsed by ASPA, while the PA and Disability Section held three meetings in three US cities (Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA; and Atlanta, GA). The presenta-tion was also endorsed by the Sections on Women in Public Administration, Democracy and Social Justice and Ethics and Integrity in Governance. 

        The Health and Human Service Executive (who has "astronomical health care costs" and a national crisis at universal health care) learned for the first time of "gay police associations" in San Diego, Gay Officers Action League in New York City, Committees of Police Societies, Queer/Radical Associations, and a chart of expansion of "specialized police associations" in the US.  The third speaker discussed the state of transgender-inclusive policy in 365 municipalities and all 50 states using HRC's State of Equality Index (2016). "Areas involved are foster care, hate crimes, housing, adoption, education, employment, and public accommodation". The fourth speaker indicated that the New Orleans Police Department was charged for "failing to provide critical policing services to language minority communities".
   
        The third panel was titled Public Health Challenges in the 21st Century, and was co-endorsed by the Sections on Democracy and Social Justice and Intergovernmental Administration and Management. The program brochure indicates the following: William Swaim (Moderator, CoAuthor), Vanessa Fenley (Presenter), Anita Larson, Emily Brixey, Iseul Choi, Terri Schreiber, Changsoo Song, Mindy Anderson-Knott, Mark Davis, J. Ramon Gil-Garica, Jennifer Rott, and Wayne Wohler. Represented were the University of Colorado at Denver, University of New York at Albany, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, "Opiods and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs" in Pennsylvania, Denver, CO and an Education Program by the Minnesota Department of Education. 

       Six of the above speakers presented and according to the subsequent question and answer period, none of the speakers are involved with public health's designated "Traumatic Brain Injury" (US Congressional-US states point of responsibility). The urban sustainability and public health nexus addressed chronic health and GHG emissions (e.g., asthma, COPD, heart disease) and physical activity (walkability, built environment), based upon 500 cities (174 city sample, 32 states) and 6 indices from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data sets. The second speaker discussed "citizens decision making on selecting health care plans" and perceived performance and satisfaction measures. 

       Private consulting on opiods was highlighted with liberal Colorado politics, a "Coordinating Center at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy", public surveillaince tools with data analytic software (e.g., NarxCare, OpiSafe), and licensing fees. A presentation on minority health disparities concentrated on underage drinking before age 13 (grades 5-12) with comparisons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations, and white and non-white populations. The SAMHSA (federal, mental health and substance abuse) study focused on one Nebraska County, and the research methodologies involved fidelity checks and ANCOVA statistical analyses on race and ethnicity regarding "school education program" to "prevent or stop alcohol use". 

      The final speaker from the Minnesota Education Department (who has a DPA) discussed MN's growing together pilot involving 80% of moms working outside the home, and early intervention and early childhood programs. MN is part of the University of Chicago School Research Consortium in 2018. "An expensive, integrated data systems for early childhood collection" is required and is now available to answer "all policy questions"!

Julie Ann Racino, "Selected Friday Panels Endorsed by Health and Human Services Administration, 2018"                                                    Posted on 3/14/2018