A Huge Step Toward a More Equitable Public Health System.

Lendy Chu is an MPH candidate concentrating in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Human Rights, Social Justice, and Health Equity at BUSPH and serves as the Activist Fellow on Public Health Regionalization with the Massachusetts Public Health Department. We sat down with Lendy to learn about her experience.

Lendy Chu Activist Fellow, Regionalization

Breakfast: Something caffeinated

Hometown: A suburb outside of Boston, MA

Extracurriculars:  I like to cook, watch TV crime dramas, and volunteer in my local community.

Why did you apply to be an Activist Fellow?

I thought it was an amazing opportunity to gain insight into the process of influencing public health policy at the governmental level and learn more about and improve the infrastructure of the MA public health system.

Why is regionalization so important?

Even though Massachusetts is considered one of the “healthiest states,” but our public health system is currently very fragmented. There are 252 local boards of health across the state, many of which are poorly funded and under-resourced. The majority of local health boards do not have the capacity to ensure that their residents receive a basic level of public health protections. In the current system, one’s zip code dictates the quality of public health services they receive. Regionalizing public health services offers many benefits, including promoting a consistent standard of care and services, increased opportunity for funding, workforce development, and allows communities to access the skills and resources they need through sharing agreements. It is a huge step toward creating a public health system that is not only more efficient but also more equitable.

What are you working on at DPH?

For my fellowship, I am focusing on the cross-jurisdictional sharing component of regionalization and other structural approaches to achieving efficiencies in the local public health system. As its name suggests, cross-jurisdictional sharing in public health is the collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries to deliver public health services. There are various approaches to sharing agreements, including the regionalization or consolidation of health departments, the sharing of defined services, and the sharing of staff across health departments.

I am currently conducting research comparing Massachusetts with other states that have similar public health structures but are further along in the regionalization process. This research will inform potential approaches Massachusetts may want to take as we progress in our regionalization efforts.

What advice would you give the next Activist Fellow?

Be patient and ask questions! Legislative change does not happen quickly or easily, and much of the work you do now may not have an immediate impact, but take the opportunity to learn from the incredible public health leaders you will get to work with and don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

Any suggestions for how your fellow students could get involved?

The Activist Lab provides many amazing opportunities for students to get involved with a variety of public health topics. If regionalization is something that interests you, I highly recommend applying for the Activist Fellowship or contacting the Office of Local and Regional Health.