Inspiring Progress and Building Momentum for Change

Summit Overview

The 2nd annual Bloomberg American Health Summit — held November 12-13 in Baltimore, Maryland — brought together advocates, experts, and policymakers from across the country to address challenges to health in five focus areas: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, and violence.

Fellows and collaborators spent two days sharing new knowledge and evidence-based practices, and forging connections that will inspire progress and build momentum for change at the local, state, and national level.

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I wanted to be a part of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative because we need more champions across our nation and in my state to help expand access to treatment, address stigma, create innovative solutions for individuals and families, and to find ways to prevent the disease of addiction in the first place.

Eric Harkness

Bloomberg Fellow, Tennessee Department of Health

Being a part of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative has empowered me to develop and lead impactful programs that promote the health and well-being of young people in the most populous county in the country.

Nicholas Pisca

Bloomberg Fellow, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

As a Bloomberg Fellow, I am learning new tools I can put to work for parents to create safe and healthy home environments for their kids.

Jennifer Spiller

Bloomberg Fellow, Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan

I applied to be a Bloomberg Fellow because I want to fight for policies that work, to give all of my neighbors an equitable chance to live a healthier life.

Ashley Hickson

Bloomberg Fellow, Center for Science in the Public Interest

From suicide to drug and alcohol abuse to gender-based violence, deconstructing masculinity decreases the risk of all these public health issues.

Amanda Capitummino

Bloomberg Fellow, Center for Science in the Public Interest

2019 Bloomberg American Health Summit Videos

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Focus Area
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Environmental Challenges

The Principles of Environmental Justice: Mustafa Santiago Ali of the National Wildlife Federation

Keynote address by Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation, at the 2nd annual Bloomberg American Health Summit.
Adolescent Health

Threat of Vaping to Adolescent Health

Keynote address by Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Violence

ERPO: Preventing Gun Violence and Saving Lives

Researcher Shannon Frattaroli shares the power and potential of extreme risk protection orders, or ERPOs, to save lives.
Violence

Public Health Solutions to Violence

Panel discussion featuring: Thomas Abt, Senior Research Fellow, Center for International Development, Harvard University; A.T. Mitchell, Founder and Executive Director, ManUp! Inc. New York; Sandi Timmons, Executive Director, House of Ruth Maryland; James “J.T.” Timpson, Director of Safety and Community Partnerships, Roca Baltimore.
Violence

Policing and Harm Reduction

Panel discussion featuring: Monica Bharel, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public; Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Action Partnership; Allie Hunter, Executive Director, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative; Devin Reaves, Co-founder and Executive Director, Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition.
Environmental Challenges

The Practice of Environmental Justice

Panel discussion featuring: Daniel Kass, Senior Vice President, Environmental Health, Vital Strategies; Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation; Aisha Dickerson, Assistant Professor and Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Della Wright, Evaluator, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice.
Food Systems for Health

Sweetened Beverage Taxes: A Policy That Works

Researcher Christina Roberto shares the story of Philadelphia's successful beverage tax - where a small price hike made a big difference for health.
Food Systems for Health

Food Systems in Indigenous Contexts

A conversation with Tara Houska, Founder, Ginew and Melissa Walls, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Food Systems for Health

The Power of Growing Food

Keynote address by Karen Washington, Farmer and Co-owner, Rise and Root Farm.
Addiction & Overdose

Bloomberg Fellow Eric Harkness on Addiction and Overdose

Bloomberg fellow Eric Harkness discusses his experience combatting addiction and overdose-related deaths in in the state of Tennessee.
Adolescent Health

The Voice of Youth in Baltimore

Panel discussion featuring: J. Nadine Gracia, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Trust for America’s Health; James Gaither, HeartSmiles and Center for Adolescent Health Youth Advisory Board; Joni Hollifield, Founder and President, HeartSmiles; Jemira Queen, HeartSmiles and Center for Adolescent Health Youth Advisory Board. Performance by Young Elder, HeartSmiles and Center for Adolescent Health Youth Advisory Board.
Addiction & Overdose

Using Big Data to Prevent Overdose

Researcher Brendan Saloner and the Maryland Department of Health teamed up to use Big Data to identify populations at risk of overdose. Their findings? Overdose is a predictable event.

Looking for Additional Videos for the 2019 Summit?

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Tackling seemingly impossible challenges is what public health is all about.

Michael R. Bloomberg

Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies
Three-term Mayor of New York City
Johns Hopkins University Class of 1964

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Supporting a New Generation of Public Health Leaders Across the Country

The Bloomberg Fellows Program provides world-class public health training for individuals engaged with organizations tackling critical challenges facing the United States.

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