The home for the 2019 Salk Health Activist Fellowship.

We are going to use this platform to be able to communicate effectively, collaborate, and build each other up for this fellowship. Activism starts here. Let us learn and use each other's strengths to the best of our ability. 

Together, we can change the world. 

The home for the 2018 Salk Health Activist Fellowship.

We are going to use this platform to be able to communicate effectively, collaborate, and build each other up for this fellowship. Activism starts here. Let us learn and use each other's strengths to the best of our ability. 

Together, we can change the world. 

Right Care is a human right. It places the health and wellbeing of patients first. Right Care is affordable and effective. It is compassionate, honest, and safe. Right Care brings healing and comfort to patients, and satisfaction to clinicians. Achieving Right Care will require radically transforming how care is delivered and financed.

The Right Care Alliance (RCA) is a grassroots coalition of clinicians, patients, and community members organizing to make health care institutions accountable to communities and put patients, not profits, at the heart of health care.

We affect change by

• Conducting local campaigns on right care issues such as primary care access and high drug prices
• Collaborating with others to identify areas of improvement within clinical specialties
• Speaking up about the systemic problems in our health care system through op-eds, videos, and other media
• Listening to experiences of community members and sharing stories
• Mobilizing for direct action on a national level through events like the March for Science

Vitiligo (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth. The main reason and cause of vitiligo is the fact that the body itself decides to destroy its skin pigment. Without a doubt, this is an irregularity of the system. However, the main culprit for this setback is the immune system. Doctors currently can’t predict whether the Vitiligo on a person will spread, and  how fast. Currently, there is no known cure for Vitiligo, but treatment may be able to make skin tone appear more even. However, treatments can be time consuming and expensive, and often not covered by health insurance.  Because Vitiligo affects a person’s appearance, it is considered as a “cosmetic problem.” However, it is more than a “cosmetic problem.” It is a medical condition. People who have Vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions – such as hearing loss; painful sunburns; develop other autoimmune diseases; changes in vision/eye problems; anxiety and depression. Vitiligo is not contagious, and it is not life threatening. However, it is life-altering. Some people develop low self-esteem. They may no longer want to hang out with friends. They can develop serious depression. Most people have Vitiligo for life, so it’s important to develop coping strategies. Researchers have found that many people who have vitiligo often feel anxious and embarrassed around others. It’s easy to understand why. People often stare and make rude remarks. Some people are obviously frightened. Facing this day in and day out can take a toll on a person’s overall wellbeing. 

Vision: 

- Raise awareness about vitiligo and the dermatological and psychological impact the disease has on those affected by it.

- Partner with healthcare professionals, educational institutions and social workers and activists to work diligently toward securing grant funding and increase sponsors and donors.

- Encourage governmental agencies to make vitiligo research and advocacy efforts a high priority.

- Improve the care of patients with vitiligo by providing medical professionals with the best available information about vitiligo and its treatment.

- Improve teacher and staff training in schools so they are prepared to provide support to parents and students cope with this disease. 

The West Virginia Partnership for Health Innovation (WVPHI) is a non-profit called for by the West Virginia State Innovation Model plan to catalyze health care improvement in West Virginia. WVPHI is available as a resource to assist Governor Jim Justice, the state legislature and state agencies—namely the Department of Health and Human Resources and PEIA—as they evaluate and develop policies for health care transformation. The mission of WVPHI is to assist the state, particularly, in moving it toward a health care system that is value-based. A value-based health care system is one where there is a commitment to achieving three key outcomes: better quality of care, lower overall costs and better population health outcomes.

Value-based health care is a key way to improve West Virginia's terrible population health status. Until the state's population health improves, West Virginia cannot hope to achieve economic diversity and vitality.

I believe that an interdisciplinary, multilevel intervention is essential for the transformation of health care from a system that is reactive and medically focused to one that is proactive and holistically based. Each of us fellows will have experience working at different levels of the health care systems, including the interpersonal, organizational, communal, and public policy. Multilevel change can be achieved by working together and building upon the strengths and expertise that my colleagues and I bring to the table.   

Although many aspects of the social work and public health fields inspire me, I am especially passionate about helping the uninsured and underinsured understand how to utilize their health insurance and how to be consumer advocates for health care reform. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Allegheny County has an uninsured rate of 9.9%. Individuals who are uninsured experience worse health outcomes than insured adults do. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that uninsured individuals are less likely to receive care for chronic diseases and health conditions (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016). Moreover, many individuals are not aware of how to access available health care or what benefits they are due once they have health insurance.  

As an individual who has social capital, I often find the health care system complex and arduous to comprehend. Therefore, I care deeply about empowering those who need health care and who lack the knowledge that will allow them to successfully maneuver through the intricacies of the health care system. While I recognize that existing organizations already address this population and their needs, I hope that the interdisciplinary approach endorsed by the Salk Fellowship will build upon and expand the current work being done. In addition, current policies are looking to undermine and spread misinformation about the United States’ health care system (“The Same Agency That Runs Obamacare Is Using Taxpayer Money to Undermine It,” New York Times, 2017). Therefore, it is imperative that health care activists work together to thwart policies that undermine and confuse health care consumers.

Your voice matters and understanding how the health care system works can help you become a better advocate. 

We are going to use this platform to be able to communicate effectively, collaborate, and build each other up for this fellowship. Activism satrts here, let us learn and use each other's strengths to the best of our ability. 

We are here to help, and are open to any and all questions that you may possess. If we don't know the answer, we will do our best to find someone who does. Together, we can change the world. 

Care coordination mistakes are costly... and not just in terms of financial expenses. Some of the most common care coordination mistakes are also major culprits for death and exacerbated patient health problems. U.S. News & World Reportindicates, “Medical errors are [the] third leading cause of death in the U.S. 10 percent of U.S. deaths are due to preventable medical mistakes" such as: Documentation errors  Communication Disconnects Lack of Coordination Neglecting Follow-ups Delays