Cody Ingle poses with a sign that reads, “I am working on Violence in Sioux Falls, SD and I see hope for America’s health in LGBTQ+ Health and suicide prevention.”
In June 2024, I had the honor of starting as a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, pursuing a doctorate in public health with a concentration in health equity and social justice. The American Health Initiative focuses on five key issues that “deeply challenge the nation’s health,” including addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence. One of their top priorities is partnering with collaborating organizations across the country that are already working in local communities. The cross-cutting themes of equity, evidence, and policy are embedded into all key issue areas, and only 10 individuals were selected for the 2024 Cohort. I am in the violence track, and you can read more about the initiative here.
As part of the Initiative, an annual summit called The American Health Summit is held in December. The Summit is a way to bring all Bloomberg Fellows and a representative of each of their collaborating organizations together to talk about public health – what is happening now and what the future looks like. Research & Evaluation Manager Gesine Ziebarth and I had the opportunity to attend this year’s summit December 2-4, and the time we spent in Washington, D.C., was incredible.
Cody Ingle, right, shakes hands with Mike Bloomberg.
Gesine Ziebarth shakes hands with Mike Bloomberg.
The 2024 theme was “Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times.” Many public health professionals are concerned about some of the potential choices of the new administration. One thing the Summit did a great job of emphasizing is the fact that public health is a bipartisan concern – regardless of which side of the political spectrum you fall on, it can be agreed that people deserve good health policies and practice. Many speakers noted the importance of working together for the future of public health – believing in science and following the data. We heard from some great people, including Senator Cory Booker and my personal favorite, Cynthia Germanotta (Lady GaGa’s mom). We also heard about many different initiatives addressing the five key issues – including building Violence Reduction Councils, Judicial Health Notes (examining how major judicial rulings impact health and equity), and what the Office of Gun Violence Prevention is doing to advance gun safety across the United States. One of my favorite takeaways from the Summit was the overarching idea that in every policy that is made, health must be embedded. As public health professionals, we need to look at how health equity is being addressed.
Cody and Gesine visit the White House.
Gesine and I were able to tour the White House, which was so fun. Walking through different rooms and taking in some of the history was a great experience. I had the honor of actually visiting the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (where we met in an old Secretary of War suite) at the White House to talk more intimately about how we as Fellows can continue addressing gun violence in our own communities (especially because the Office is now being eliminated by the new administration).
Being a Bloomberg Fellow and attending the Summit relates to my work at Lost&Found in various ways. The connections made at the summit provided opportunities for collaboration and information sharing. Understanding where the future of public health is going helps us to remain current and evidence-based in our approaches.
Cody, right, poses with another Violence Fellow, Jay Franzone, in front of a map showing where each Fellow is making a difference.
One thing I’ll say for sure is that after attending the Summit, the future of public health could not be in better hands.
Cody Ingle is a Senior Research & Evaluation Specialist at Lost&Found.
