OUR STORY
The DrPH Coalition is a grassroots organization established by Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students and alumni (referred to as “DrPHers”) from DrPH programs around the country. The Coalition began in 2018 as the vision of a few ambitious students wanting to be more connected to their colleagues and to build a movement within public health to raise the voices of DrPHers in public health advocacy and decision-making. For over a year, the Coalition functioned through a steering committee which networked with DrPHers from schools across the U.S. and internationally to build interest and capacity.
On November 2, 2019, the Coalition officially launched during a pre-conference event at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting. Between Fall of 2019 and Fall of 2020, Coalition members connected with over 30 DrPH programs to form a network of more than 200 public health practitioners, leaders, alumni and students across disciplines, sectors and countries.
Development
The Coalition was planning to establish a formal structure in the Spring of 2020, until the Covid-19 pandemic changed the world. Reacting to the dire public health situation, the nascent Coalition tried to motivate members to support response efforts in an email which was subsequently published on the deBeaumont Foundation’s blog. The message was to get involved - both personally and collectively - to support public health in this time of need. To highlight the role that DrPHers were playing in the response, the Coalition organized a webinar in April 2020 that emphasized leadership in crisis.
In the summer of 2020, the organization felt a strong calling to build capacity, formalize their governance structure, build partnerships and do more to respond to the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis. Active members of the Coalition dedicated months to developing a governance model, identifying near term goals and planning for a second annual meeting. In August of 2020, the Coalition formally established a governance structure consisting of a 7 member Executive Board and 6 member General Council (collectively the General Assembly). These governance positions were based on nomination of active members. The Executive Board, focusing on strategic planning, organizational leadership and management, consists of a President and Vice President, Treasurer, Director of Operations, Director of Communications, Director of Policy and Programming, and a Director of Development. The General Council members assume committee chair roles of the 6 implementation committees: Public Policy and Advocacy, Communications, Events, Academic Policy, Advisory Board and Membership. The Executive Board provides resources and strategic direction for the committees, and the committees have flexibility and autonomy in how they address the Coalition’s mission and strategic goals. A mission and vision statement were developed by the General Assembly and are found here.
During August and September, the new Coalition Governance participated in a strategic planning process which established a set of objectives and milestones for the first year. This strategic plan provided guidance for further developmental activities including establishment of an advisory board and elections process and fundraising, capacity building, and anticipated outputs. The Coalition also formally incorporated in the State of Massachusetts and applied for 501c3 status. Some important milestones the coalition achieved during this time include:
A de Beaumont Foundation blog series focused on the work of DrPHers
A second annual meeting feature a panel of respected and highly visible DrPH colleagues
A highly visible op-ed on public health leadership in Covid-19 response in the Boston Globe
A growing social media following and listserv
The first edition of the DrPH Newsletter
Hosting of two interns and a fellow
First $1,000 reached in individual donations
As the world has just witnessed, there is immense and urgent need for improvements in public health. The DrPH Coalition is trying to engage in these conversations and there are many exciting opportunities on the horizon. If you are interested in joining as a member, please visit here.