Milken Institute SPH Receives Grant to Strengthen Health Equity Leadership Program

The $3.5 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies will fund the global program aimed to address health inequities through 2028.

June 26, 2020

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Bertrand Moses is working to improve mental health and wellness among high school students in Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Moses, who works as the national coordinator of child affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago, aims to make mental health education accessible for children facing inequities, including those who have disabilities or live in difficult circumstances.

His work is part of the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity, a global leadership program of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity (Mullan Institute) at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health

The Mullan Institute recently was awarded supplemental funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies to support the global leadership program, which trains early- to mid-career health professionals to address health inequities.

Mr. Moses is one of 21 emerging leaders who are currently serving as fellows in this innovative program.

The $3.5 million grant will strengthen The Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity program and help fund operations through 2028. The program’s fellows learn to think critically about the foundations of health inequity, including the social determinants of health, and apply frameworks to reduce health disparities in different settings around the world. The year-long fellowship is now training its fourth class of fellows, who bring expertise in a variety of disciplines, including law, economics, medicine and nursing.

“The Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity are an impressive group of leaders tackling some of the world’s most challenging and urgent public health problems,” said Guenevere Burke, director of the program and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS). “The program has already seen remarkable achievements in its graduates, including navigating health care delivery during active conflict, pioneering universal health coverage implementation and exploring new media and technology solutions to eliminate health disparities.”

Almost 50 fellows already have graduated from the training program and work on health equity initiatives around the world. Fellows have worked on projects improving regional health systems in Argentina, promoting primary care services in the rural areas of the Philippines, and providing access to academic enrichment programs for low-income students interested in health professions in the United States.

“Connecting with fellow global champions has given me inspiration beyond measure,” Mr. Moses said. “I am often told that some health equity battles are systemic and fixed. However, from my experience through this program, I am reminded that giving in to a system is never an option.”

The Mullan Institute previously received $35.1 million from The Atlantic Philanthropies to establish and sustain the program, which was started in 2016. The new grant is the Atlantic Philanthropies’ final award to the Mullan Institute before The Atlantic Philanthropies closes its doors this year.

“The challenges posed by COVID-19 have underscored the urgent need to address health disparities in our populations and their detrimental impact on all of society,” said Christopher G. Oechsli, president and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies. “The Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity at the Mullan Institute are part of the solution, and we are privileged to support them in advancing their critical work.”

In 2018, The Atlantic Philanthropies welcomed the Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity into the global Atlantic Fellows Program, which encompasses seven programs operating across five continents. More than 250 fellows participate annually in the programs that work toward fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies. The Atlantic Philanthropies committed nearly $700 million to support the work of the global network of Atlantic Fellows over the next 20 years.