WHO: Alexis Walls, Assistant Campaign Manager of the Massachusetts Public Health Association
WHAT: Analysis and commentary regarding regional transit items impacting public health in the Senate Ways & Means (SWM) Budget released today
Aim to advance legislation that passed both House and Senate in last session to address critical infrastructure and equity needs to shore up Commonwealth’s public health readiness
WHAT: The Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) Act is a top legislative priority for the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) because of its foundational approach to ensuring that every city and town – regardless of race, income, or zip code – will have the resources and tools needed to address both daily health needs and emergency situations impacting the health and lives of its residents. Sponsored by Senator Jo Comerford and Representatives Hannah Kane and Denise Garlick, this critical bill will transform the Massachusetts local public health system by ensuring minimum standards for every community, increasing local capacity, creating a uniform data collection and reporting system, and establishing sustainable state funding.
SAPHE 2.0 builds on a body of work undertaken by the executive branch, the legislature, municipal leaders, public health officials, and fiscal policy experts. This bill implements the unanimous recommendations of the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health, as well as a key recommendation of the Joint Committee on COVID19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management’s report. SAPHE 2.0 also serves as the roadmap for efficiently and equitably spending the legislature’s $200M ARPA investment in local and regional public health. SAPHE 2.0, as unanimously passed by the legislature in 2022, provides the framework to realize a truly equitable and efficient local public health system.
WHO: Public health administrators, municipal leaders, and advocates from across the Commonwealth will present testimony and detail the current and ever present need for these improvements. Along with MPHA, organizational sponsors include MA Association of Public Health Nurses, MA Association of Health Boards, Blue Cross Blue Shield MA, the MA Healthy Aging Collaborative, regional planning commissions, and many more.
WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, May 4th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in State House Hearing Room A-2. Also available via Hearings & Events (malegislature.gov)
WHY: “SAPHE 2.0 will transform the Commonwealth’s public health system into one that is informed, responsive, connected, and nimble,” said Oami Amarasingham, MPHA Deputy Director. While many of the issues identified and recommendations made in the Special Commission’s report pre-date COVID, the need to address them proactively was brought into stark relief over the past three years.
Amarasingham added, “Our decentralized public health and response systems – and the longstanding inequities and inefficiencies embedded within them – became more widely known as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Having unanimously passed the bill through both chambers at the end of the last legislative session, the House and Senate clearly understand that the time to act is now. We look forward to swift action on SAPHE 2.0 so that our public health system is prepared to meet the public health challenges of today and tomorrow.”
For more details regarding SAPHE 2.0 or to arrange an interview, please contact Toni Troop, MPHA Media Consultant by phone (ttroop@mapublichealth.org).
As lawmakers on Beacon Hill dig in on this year’s state budget, 79% of Massachusetts residents support increasing funding for the state’s 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), which provide local bus and paratransit service beyond the reaches of MBTA bus and subway service. Nearly as many (74%) support using some of the new voter-approved surtax on the portion of income over $1 million to fund the increase.
That’s according to a new poll of 1,401 Massachusetts residents conducted February 23 to March 7, 2023 by The MassINC Polling Group (MPG) in collaboration with the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC). The poll was sponsored by The Barr Foundation.
Even when told the specifics of the policy – increasing the amount the RTA’s receive in the budget from $94 million to $150 million – 69% of voters support the proposal. Support rebounds when new funding is earmarked for offering more bus service at night and on weekends (79%).
“It’s not surprising for support for a policy proposal to decline slightly when real numbers are attached, and to increase when talking about how new funding would be used,” says MPG Senior Research Director Richard Parr. “What is perhaps more surprising is that support for RTA funding is strong across the entire state, not just in the areas served by RTAs that would benefit it.”
Many of these subgroups are also overrepresented among bus riders, who are less likely to be white (54% versus 72% statewide). more likely to be under age 30 (34% versus 22%). A majority (53%) of riders make less than $50,000 a year, 43% have a high school diploma or less education, and 80% do not own or lease a car (34%) or have only one car (46%).
Current riders are using the bus for many different types of trips – shopping and errands (74%), health care appointments (62%), work (61%), visiting friends and family (57%), and going out at night (52%). And 45% of current riders say they would want to use the bus for nightlife more than they can now, suggesting a latent demand for expanded night and weekend service. Non-riders also say they would like to use the bus to access nightlife (35%), but also basics like shopping and errands (40%), health care appointments (36%), and commuting to work (32%).
“A robust, statewide public transportation system is necessary to achieve better health for RTA riders, who, this survey shows, are more likely to be Black and low-income, and who rely on the bus for day-to-day activities like grocery shopping and going to the doctor,” says Alexis Walls, Assistant Campaign Director for the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) and co-chair of the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC).
Boston, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) announced that it has presented its highest honor, the Paul Revere Award for Lifetime Achievement, to Myron Allukian, Jr., DDS, MPH, in recognition of his unwavering commitment to public health. The award was presented last night at a reception as part of the American Public Health Association’s 150th Anniversary Meeting and Expo in Boston. Dr. Allukian is a Past President of both the Massachusetts Public Health Association and the American Public Health Association. He is the first dentist to receive the Paul Revere Award.
“Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. has been a true luminary in the field of public health,” said MPHA Executive Director Carlene Pavlos. “He has worked tirelessly throughout his professional life to advance the importance of oral health as a public health priority. Millions of Massachusetts residents, and millions in other states, have better oral health as a result of his leadership for community water fluoridation, a safe and effective public health measure.”
BOSTON, MA – Public health leaders and municipal officials from across the Commonwealth are condemning Governor Charlie Baker’s decision not to sign transformative public health legislation and are urging the legislature to reject his proposed amendments to the bill. The Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) Act would overhaul the state’s woefully inadequate local public health system and was passed unanimously in both the House (153-0) and Senate (39-0). Yesterday evening, the Governor returned the bill to the legislature with amendments that undermine the minimum public health standards established in the bill by making the standards optional.
“Last month both houses of the legislature voted unanimously to pass the SAPHE 2.0 Act,” said Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “House and Senate leadership brought this bill to the floor in order to address the longstanding inequities and inefficiencies that have plagued the local public health system in the Commonwealth. By returning the bill with an amendment that eliminates consistent public health standards for all municipalities, the Governor is doubling down on the patchwork public health system that perpetuated inequities during the pandemic. Public health crises do not respect municipal boundaries. Every Massachusetts resident deserves basic public health protections no matter their race, income, or zip code. We urge the legislature to continue to lead on public health, reject these amendments, and return the SAPHE 2.0 Act to the Governor’s desk.”
BOSTON, MA – Today, public health leaders from across the Commonwealth praised the Massachusetts legislature for passing the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) Act. If signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker, this landmark bill will overhaul the state’s broken public health system, providing better and more consistent public health protections to residents of all municipalities. The bi-partisan bill was passed unanimously in both chambers.
“This is a momentous day for health equity in Massachusetts,” said Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “The SAPHE 2.0 bill will ensure that strong public health protections are available to all residents of our Commonwealth – regardless of race, income, or zip code. We are deeply grateful to the leadership of the House and Senate and to our legislative champions, Senator Jo Comerford, Rep. Denise Garlick, and Rep. Hannah Kane. We call on Governor Charlie Baker to protect our communities by signing the bill into law without delay.”
SAPHE 2.0 creates minimum public health standards for every Massachusetts community, ensures a qualified workforce by credentialing public health workers, incentivizes municipalities to share services, creates a uniform data collection and reporting system, and dedicates state funding to support local boards of health and health departments.
Boston, MA– The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced the endorsement of seven public health organizations from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot.
“Our coalition works to promote youth health, well-being, and health equity in our region, and nothing could be more important to those priorities than strong, well-funded public schools!” said Kat Allen, Coalition Coordinator for the Communities that Care Coalition of Franklin County and North Quabbin. “Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, would be an absolute game-changer for public education in Massachusetts for years to come.”
The seven public health organizations collectively represent hundreds of healthcare workers, public health advocates and community leaders from across Massachusetts, and include statewide organizations as well as local groups from Allston-Brighton, Franklin County, Greater Lowell, and Greater Worcester.
“Passing the Fair Share Amendment will improve public health and racial justice across the Commonwealth,” said Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “Public transit is a lifeline to jobs, education, healthy food, and medical care. By improving quality and accessibility to public transit services, Question 1 will improve access to these key drivers of health and health equity, while also improving air quality and reducing climate emissions.“
Boston, MA – A coalition of racial justice, immigrant advocacy, and public health leaders unveiled a detailed report card which shows that the Baker administration left behind marginalized communities in its COVID-19 vaccination distribution.
The report card gives the Baker administration Bs, Cs, Ds and Fs in four key aspects of the COVID vaccine distribution efforts. It grades the administration on both its “intent” to consider equity in the vaccine distribution as well as the “outcome” of their approach to equity.
“While Massachusetts can point to strong overall rates of vaccinations, this data obscures the inequities for historically marginalized communities,” said Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. “For example, the mass-vaccination sites that were set up in April and May 2021 favored those that could take time off of work and had access to a personal vehicle. Barriers like these proved burdensome for people of color, immigrant communities, and low-income populations. Moving forward, we hope the next Administration better accounts for equity in the public health space – and in all areas of governing.”
The following table breaks down the four “equity criteria” used by the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition, as well as the specific grades the coalition issued for both “intent” and “outcome” on these equity criteria.
BOSTON, MA – Today, municipal leaders from cities and towns across the state’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) service areas, including Gateway Cities, sent a letter to the members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, asking them to pass An Act to Improve and Expand Regional Transit Accessibility in the Commonwealth (S.2277), filed by State Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative Natalie Blais.The bill, which was reported out favorably by the Joint Committee on Transportation in February, would stabilize funding for RTAs and pave the way for better, more affordable public transportation service in Massachusetts. Passage of the bill would also mark a critical step towards achieving greater regional equity in the allocation of state public transportation dollars.
“As municipal leaders, we represent a wide variety of cities and towns. Our communities are different in many ways, from population to geography and demographics. But we share a commitment to improving regional public transportation options – both to improve the lives of our constituents and to help meet the state’s climate change goals,” said Mayor Brian De Peña of Lawrence.
“All Massachusetts residents deserve access to high quality public transportation services,” said Mayor Coogan of Fall River. “Residents of our communities rely on transit services to access jobs, schools, grocery stores, and medical appointments. It is crucial to provide a system that meets these core needs.”
The Commonwealth’s 15 RTAs and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) are the backbone of the state’s public transportation system. Though 55% of Massachusetts residents live in an RTA service area, less than 7% of state transit operational funds go to support the RTAs.
“We cannot allow the status quo for transportation in Massachusetts to stand any longer,” said State Senator Harriette Chandler of Worcester. “Our constituents are overwhelmed by record inflation, skyrocketing gas prices, a global pandemic, wealth disparities, and climate change. We need policies in place that will efficiently and equitably support our communities in managing the effects of these crises.”
BOSTON, MA – Today, the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) announced the release of a candidate questionnaire for current candidates in the Massachusetts governor’s race. The questionnaire asks each candidate to provide details on their public health-related platforms, including their position on creating a cabinet-level position to oversee public health policies statewide.
“The COVID pandemic has made it crystal clear that we need a robust public health system to keep us all safe and healthy. But here in Massachusetts we also witnessed the fallout – in delayed decision-making, confused priorities and poor planning – that resulted because public health leadership was not in direct communication with the governor,” said Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “If we are serious about reducing health inequities, the state’s public health leader must have a seat at the table with the other cabinet secretaries when policy is being made about the full range of issues that impact health – from the environment to food access to transportation.”
The questionnaire covers a broad range of public health policies, from strategies for reducing opioid abuse and improving air quality to continued support for COVID-19 testing and vaccination, increasing access to affordable housing and public transportation, reducing health inequities, and transforming the local public health system.
Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
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