CHPPD reviewers’ comments were submitted to the Joint Policy Committee.  After review, the JPC makes recommendations to either reject or move forward proposals for hearings and consideration by APHA’s Governing Council.  The JPC may also work with some of the authors on revisions suggested by its members. By September, the revised policy proposals will be posted at http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/.  

The policy proposal sponsored by CHPPD, Call for Education and Research into Vitamin D Deficiency, was written by Section member Dr. Azzie Young in coordination with Priti Irani.  Although the JPC gave the proposal a “negative assessment," the committee stated that it dealt with an important area of public health.  Explaining that the proposal needed more research, the JPC suggested that its authors collaborate with another section to develop a revised version. Dr. Young has talked with members from within and outside the Section and is considering all options for getting the Vitamin D policy proposal on the APHA agenda for 2007.

Passed by APHA in 2004, Creating Policies in Land Use and Transportation Systems that Promote Public Health illustrates how policies should work,” says Donald Hoppert, APHA's director of Government Relations.  Built on the actions of APHA members in child health, it drew attention to the fact that transportation is an important public health issue and related it to current areas of concern such as obesity among children.  APHA relied on this policy to organize the 2006 National Public Health Week around the theme “Designing Healthy Communities: Raising Healthy Kids.”  Public health practitioners around the United States organized fitness events, art contests, walkability assessments, health fairs and other outreach efforts.

In addition, the actions proposed in the APHA policy had key champions in the Senate and Assembly.  The Healthy Places Act of 2006 (S. 1067/H.R. 398), a bill introduced by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Rep.Hilda Solas, D-Calif., during National Public Health Week, calls for a series of measures that would expand efforts to improve the planning and design of communities that can promote healthier lives for children. Among its measures, the bill would establish health impact assessment programs to help states and local communities examine the health effects of health policy or program changes. The legislation would also: create a grant program to address environmental health hazards, particularly in regard to health disparities; provide funding for research on the link between the built environment and health status; and create an interagency working group on environmental health to facilitate collaboration. The bill was reintroduced in the Senate and House of Representatives in 2007.

CHPPD members are encouraged to review the revised APHA policy proposals and let the CHPPD Policy Committee know whether or not the Section should support them.  APHA has posted a new policy review form for guidance at   http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/newpolicy/2007policies.htm. 

CHPPD Policy Committee reviewers will articulate the section's views at the policy hearings on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 4, at the APHA Annual Meeting.  Authors or their proxies will be given a chance to defend their proposals at that time.  On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Governing Council members will discuss, possibly amend, and vote on the proposals.  Proposals approved by the Governing Council then become official policy of APHA.

Earlier this year, CHPPD members Calvin Roberson of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition and Islara Souto of the University of Miami reviewed old APHA policies in order to make suggestions for archiving. They identified three potential areas for policy efforts: (1) developing diversity in clinical trial participation; (2) mandating cultural competency training among public health workers; and (3) addressing the varying requirements and practices among states by requiring HIV testing on all individuals released from correctional and detention settings.  Members are invited to provide input on these suggestions.

Here is what some reviewers said about their experiences with the APHA policy proposal process.

Azzie Young: Lesson Learned -- If we want a policy to be passed by APHA, it's important to get the perspectives and support from other sections upfront, as early as the Annual Meeting. To do that in a timely manner, it's not too early to start discussions of policies for 2008 with key section representatives at the 2007 Annual Meeting.

Calvin Roberson: APHA policy review serves as a platform to gain more insight and understanding in regards to current and emerging health issues and their respective effects on society.  The review of former APHA policies can serve as an indicator of the progress made to impact, or may reflect the evolution of previous health issues. 

Harry Perlstadt:  APHA uses its policy statements to inform legislators, government leaders, and the media about important public health issues.  The development of these statements is very important and well worth the time we put into the process.

Joe Schuchter: Especially as a student, it's often easy to get caught up in theory and feel isolated from practice. Participation in the policy review process yields insights on current APHA thinking and initiatives and is a great way to be a part of the action.

Karen Valenzuela:  APHA’s policymaking process is one of my most favorite things about being active in APHA.  I love reading members’ ideas about what positions APHA should adopt and engaging in the debate around shaping the policy in its final form, both at the Sunday afternoon policy sessions and on the floor of the Governing Council. 

Priti Irani: There's something new to learn from reading policy proposals written by APHA members.  For example, when Azzie Young started talking about the importance of Vitamin D for people of all ages and ethnic and racial backgrounds, I couldn't help noticing it in everything I read. The writers are passionate about what they write about, and that's always exciting to read.

Shari Kinney: APHA policy is an important venue to communicate to the membership and to the public the issues that we as APHA members are passionate about. These policies are a first step in making change that impacts the health of the public. Participating in policymaking is an important responsibility we have as APHA members, and I encourage everyone to participate!

If you would like to be involved in the policy process -- by reviewing the revised proposals, attending a policy session at the Annual Meeting, reviewing policies for archive consideration, or writing a new policy for 2008 -- please contact CHPPD Policy/Resolution Committee co-chairs Shari Kinney at sharik@health.state.ok.us and Calvin Roberson at croberson@imhc.org by August 2007.

Several CHPPD members involved with reviewing and writing policies jointly wrote this article.  The authors are: Priti Irani, MS, New York State Department of Health; Shari Kinney, MPH, MS, RN, Cleveland County Health Department; Harry Perlstadt, PhD, MPH, Michigan State University and a member of APHA’s Science Board; Calvin Roberson, MHA, MPH, Indiana Minority Health Coalition; Joseph Schuchter, MPH, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and a health policy doctoral student; Karen Valenzuela, MA, MPA, Washington State Department of Health; and Azzie Young, PhD, MPA, Mattapan Community Health Center, Boston.