El Cajon native named to Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
The White House
and last updated 2021-02-10 14:38:22-05
SAN DIEGO (CNS) - President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he has nominated El Cajon native Mayra Alvarez to serve on the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
Alvarez is one of a dozen people nominated to serve as non-federal members of the task force, which was created to help ensure an equitable response to the pandemic, according to White House officials.
For the past five years, Alvarez has been the president of The Children s Partnership, a nonprofit children s advocacy organization.
Public discussion doesn’t resolve dose allocation, state registration questions
February 10, 2021 | 10:21 am
February 10, 2021
The Montgomery County Council and officials from the Maryland Department of Health discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on Tuesday.
Should the state place a COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Montgomery County?
The County Council thinks it should have happened already and pushed state health officials on Tuesday to set one up.
Mass vaccination sites were one of several vaccine-related topics that county and state officials discussed during Tuesday’s council meeting. Maryland Department of Health officials present at the meeting included Dr. Jinelene Chan, the acting deputy secretary; Dr. Mark Martin, deputy director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Heather Shek, deputy director of the Office of Governmental Affairs.
Q&A: Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk advocates to reduce health care inequities through legislation Shawna De La Rosa | Feb 5, 2021
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As a child, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk emigrated to New York from the Dominican Republic. In her home country, she lived in a three-bedroom house with as many as 17 extended family members. Now, Peña-Melnyk advocates for equity through her platform as the delegate for Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties a position she’s held since 2007. She is currently chair of the Public Health & Minority Health Disparities Subcommittee and vice chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee.
Hunger and Health: The Devastating Impact of Structural Racism
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on low-income, communities of color, but conversations about racial disparities mask the real public health emergency – racism. Poor access to healthcare and bias in clinical settings, underfunded educational and health institutions, housing segregation, chronic stress, and lack of access to clean water, air, and nutritious food all converge to shape the health of children and families of color. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a policy statement that named racism as a key social determinant of health, noting that “failure to address racism will continue to undermine health equity for all children, adolescents, emerging adults, and their families.” This session will delve deeper into the connection between health and structural racism, and the inequities of our health and food systems that compound negative health outcomes. We’ll also hear dire