Vital CxNs

Yesterday our team attended the EQTY Summit hosted by Boston Medical Center (BMC). We’re thankful to be in the company of Boston’s health innovators who are driving equitable change in mental health, access to treatment, and thoughtful collaboration.

Our Community Convos are back just in time for the fall season! During the summer, we’ve seen a spike in COVID cases across the area and Vital CxNs has been busy spreading the word about continuing to stay safe and healthy. With funding from the Thoracic Foundation, and in partnership with MA-CEAL, we collaborated with trained community ambassadors from the BMC Long COVID Ambassador program to hold a series of Long COVID conversations to inform community members about what Long COVID is, where to seek treatment, and identify needs to create better care solutions. This month’s Community Convo will be focused on Long COVID and will include a presentation from one of our past Health Equity Scholars and trained ambassador Jose Marco "Marcky" Antonio Antonio. This will be followed by a community discussion with Jazmin Granadeño, Community Engagement Specialist from MA-CEAL. This is a convo you don’t want to miss!

What a monumental day for maternal health! Vital CxNs represented along with numerous maternal health and reproductive care organizations, midwives, doulas, and moms to celebrate the signing of H.4999 into law. With today’s signing, Massachusetts residents will have better access to midwives and out-of-hospital birthing options to promote safe, healthy births. Congratulations!

We had such a special night celebrating our Neighborhood Food Action Collaborative members and the amazing ways they serve our communities every single day from rescuing surplus food, to filling community fridges, to providing SNAP education and enrollment support. We are so honored to work alongside community members, organizations, and institutions that are committed to eliminating food insecurity in Boston. A huge shout out to the Dorchester Food Co-op for hosting and feeding us, and to our Community Leaders, Ric Henry and Rebecca Riley Greene for planning this celebratory event. The Neighborhood Food Action Collaborative (NFAC) is a community-centered, cross-sector network with a mission to create solutions for a more robust, accessible, and equitable food ecosystem in Boston. Learn more on our website: www.vitalcxns.org/nfac #foodaccess #foodjustice

We had a great time bringing 'Barb', the pumpspotting tour bus to Boston! Thank you to Epiphany School for being a great host as we shed light on the importance of equitable access to breastfeeding support, and the power of bringing new and expectant parents together in community. Epiphany's Early Learning Center was one of our six pilot sites in the first year of our maternal health equity project - we were thrilled to bring Pumpspotting's national tour to Epiphany and loved hearing from a few of the moms who participated in our maternal health community conversations! #breastfeeding #maternalhealth #healthequity https://lnkd.in/dhjkcbK9

Join us tonight at 6 pm as we commemorate 34 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a Community Convo on accessibility and health equity on Zoom.

For this month's Community Convo, Vital CxNs fosters dialogue on the opportunities and barriers to accessing care for those with disabilities. During this conversation, we will discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to declare Long COVID as a disability, and how this decision impacts disability policy and other local resources for those with disabilities. Speakers include: Bill Henning, Executive Director of Boston Center for Independent Living Zary Amirhosseini, Manager of MGB’s Disability Program Visit bit.ly/vitaljulycc to register.

Join us at this important event!

Meet Adrianna Boulin, a true catalyst for change in Boston's health ecosystem. With a passion for inclusivity, Adrianna spearheads initiatives at Fenway Health, amplifying diverse voices and ensuring everyone's story is heard and their care needs are met with cultural humility. As the driving force behind Boston's Pride for the People, she champions unity and celebrates every identity. Adrianna is proof that when we bring all identities together, we create spaces where everyone belongs. 🌈 Read more about Adrianna here: https://lnkd.in/euyu4YZ8

Last week's Health Equity Trends Summit, hosted by the Health Equity Compact, was inspiring, invigorating, and a great opportunity to double down on our collective commitment to promoting health equity! Who will join us? #HETS2024 #MAPoli #HealthEquityCompact