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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sara Wilensky, JD, MPP, Department of Health Policy, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, 2010 K Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006, 202-296-6922, wilensky@gwu.edu, H. Jack Geiger, MD, MSciHyg, Community Health and Social Medicine, City University of New York Medical School, City College of New York, Harris 401, 138th Street at Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, Sara Rosenbaum, JD, Department of Health Policy, George Washington University, 2021 K Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, DC 20006, and James Hunt, MUA, CAE, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, 100 Boylston Street, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02116.

The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy was established in 2004 at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services to honor and recognize Drs. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, “pioneers in community health practice and tireless advocates for civil and human rights,” and to develop the next generation of community health leaders with their values and commitment to health equity and human rights. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of programs and policy agenda to help the development of community and migrant health centers and health care for the homeless programs. The program offers a range of initiatives and activities involving education, research, and training in community practice and leadership development.

A seminal project of the Geiger Gibson Program is the Health Center History Project, an effort to document the history of the community health center movement and the unique histories and stories of each health center in the country, to be carried out over a ten year period. Through collection of documents, photographs, oral and written histories, videos and interviews the project has begun to piece together a “virtual quilt” that utilizes web based technology, of the history of the community health center movement. The presentation will focus on the four decades of history of a movement to ensure the right to health and health care for all Americans. The presentation is designed to make this available to public health practitioners, policymakers, academics and students and promote awareness and seek contributions to the history.

Learning Objectives:

• Increase understanding of the roots and values of the community health center movement in the struggle for social justice and health equity for underserved populations.
• Discussion of health center innovations to respond to four decades of dynamic health system change to ensure continued accessible, quality care for underserved populations.
• Identify opportunities to engage community health centers as partners with public health in the quest to eliminate racial ethnic disparities in health.

Keywords: Community Health Centers, Leadership

Related Web page: www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/healthpolicy/ggprogram/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No