As an alliance, MPHA priorities, strategies, and campaigns reflect our belief that to adopt meaningful policy positions, we need input from local, regional and statewide leaders, particularly those most impacted by health inequities. That means prioritizing their voices and experiences and doing our work in a way that holds us accountable to our commitments!

MPHA established the Policy Council in 2016 to institutionalize this practice. As part of the governance structure of MPHA, the Policy Council is responsible for recommending MPHA’s two-year policy agenda as well as specific legislation for endorsement to the Board of Directors.

Why a Policy Council?

 The Policy Council acts as a check to the MPHA endorsement process, ensuring that MPHA’s policy work aligns with organizational goals to dismantle structural racism and advance health equity. The Policy Council does this by following the policy analysis process as laid out on page 14 of MPHA’s Health Equity Policy Framework.

The work of the Council results in community-driven policy change by shifting power to those historically excluded from the policy-decision making process. It also creates opportunities to explore the intersections of issues within a public health framework, to prompt cross-sector collaboration, and to foster health equity commitments from other sectors.

Meet the MPHA Policy Council

By design, the Policy Council is majority people of color and has members that represent each of the state’s 5 regions with at least two organizations from each region representing a group that uplifts resident voice, ideally building power in communities of color and low-income communities.