Knowledge to Action: Accelerating Progress in Health, Well-Being, and Equity

AN ESSENTIAL CONVERSATION FROM TODAY'S LEADING VOICES ON EFFECTING CHANGE IN HEALTH AND SOCIETY "The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has changed the conversation about health in the United States." --Jo Ivey Boufford, President, New York Academy of Medicine In a society where a person's zip code is a stronger predictor of health status than their genetic profile, every public health challenge is also a challenge of equity, implementation, and policy. For better or worse, improving health requires societal change, and the scale of today's societal challenges can have a stifling effect on even the most well-intended efforts. Assembled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and featuring today's most prominent voices from diverse sectors, Knowledge to Action is a collection of short conversations focused on the idea of meaningful change -- its definition, its impediments, and exploring how we can transition from research to action in health, well-being, and equity. Steeped in honesty and benefiting from the diverse experiences of an extraordinary assembly of academics, journalists, policymakers, public health practitioners, and researchers, this book offers provocative yet actionable perspectives that will benefit anyone who reads it.

Table of Contents:
Preface Alonzo L. Plough Acknowledgements I. Accelerating a Culture of Health by Sharing Knowledge and Acting Together Introduction Risa Lavizzo-Mourey II. Views on Understanding Culture, Experience, and Health 1. Fear and Despair: Consequences of Inequity Anne Case and Ta-Nehisi Coates 2. From Disparity to Equity David Williams 3. How Americans Value Health Larry Bye, Dante Chinni, and Alia Crum III. Pursuing Knowledge with Purpose 4. The Tyranny of Evidence Rajiv Mehta, Brian Mittman, Karen Pittman, Lisbeth Schorr, and Emily Tanner-Smith 5. Measure the Change You Wish to See in the World Sarah Burd-Sharps, Bruce Y. Lee, Karen Matsuoka, and Carley Riley 6. The Secrecy Divide: Sharing Data Across Sectors Heather Joseph, Joshua Sharfstein, and Steven Woolf 7. The Importance of Community-Based Participatory Research Christopher Gibbons and Consuelo H. Wilkins IV. Critical Pathways for Systems Change 8. Fostering Healthier Environments for Children and Families Max Crowley, Ron Haskins, Eboni Howard, and Debra Ness 9. Aligning Systems of Health and Health Care Manik Bhat, Sherry Glied, Manmeet Kaur, and Rocco Perla 10. Building Healthy Cities Kate DeSantis, Gil Penalosa, and Ela Rausch 11. Rethinking How We Police Communities Amanda Geller, John Rich, and Auke van Dijk 12. Climate Change Through a Health Lens Eric Klinenberg, Sabrina McCormick, and Linda Rudolph V. Innovating to Build a Culture of Health 13. Public, Private, Nonprofit Partnership: A Case Study of Social Impact Bonds Chris Ellis, Andrea Phillips, and John Roman 14. Forward in Baltimore: Illuminating the Possible, Achieving the Potential Lew Daly and Leana Wen 15. A Look Inside RWJF's Approaches Priya Gandhi and Brian Quinn VI. Conclusion Alonzo L. Plough References Index Culture of Health Action Framework

About the Author :
Alonzo L. Plough, PhD, MPH, MA, is the Chief Science Officer and Vice President of Research-Evaluation-Learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Plough has had a distinguished career in public health practice, academia, and philanthropy, previously serving as: an executive leader in the Los Angeles County, Seattle-King County, and Boston Departments of Public Health; Professor of Health Services at the University of Washington School of Public Health; Lecturer at Harvard; Professor at Tufts and Boston Universities; and Vice President of the California Endowment. His work focuses on improving health and well-being, and increasing health equity. Plough also serves as a board member for many health and social welfare organizations.