Place Matters Initiative

"Place Matters is a national initiative of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute (HPI) designed to improve the health of participating communities by addressing social conditions that lead to poor health."

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies,
Health Policy Institute

4 people graduating from the Place Matters Program

The Joint Center for Political and Economi November 4, 2008 ation to establish a Health Policy Institute in 2002. The Joint Center Health Policy Institute is based in Washington, D.C. where it can inform members of Congress and national organizations on issues of health disparity.

The mission of the Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI) is to ignite a “Fair Health” movement that gives people of color the inalienable right to equal opportunity for healthy lives.

The Place Matters Design Lab meeting is a national initiative designed to meet every three months to bring together 15 to 20 counties from all over the country to provide an opportunity for peer networking, collaborative learning and strategy within and among teams from different parts of the country.

Central Valley Health Policy Institute along with 6 counties Department of Public Health (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare) have joined this national initiative to serve as catalysts for strategic action to improve the health of the community.

HPI also reaches out to a broad spectrum of audiences by leveraging their long-standing relationships with a national constituency of elected and appointed public officials, community leaders and policy makers. CVHPI will serve as catalysts for strategic action to improve the health of the valley communities.

The Central Valley Health Policy Institute, California State University, Fresno (CVHPI-CSUF), and the six counties health department directors and/or their designees joined the Place Matters initiative to identify and develop a regional database for the San Joaquin Valley to assess the social determinants of Motor Vehicle Crashes (MVCs) for minority populations in rural areas throughout the project’s six counties and to use this data to inform program, practice, and policy development. Other external support from institutions, such as the California Highway Patrol and Emergency Medical Services, has also been particularly valuable for the achievement of the project goals.

If you think you can contribute to the progress of the project and would like to know more please call Dr. Marlene Bengiamin at 559-228-2167 or Heather Berg, Research Analyst, at 559-228-2158 or email Dr. Marlene Bengiamin and Heather Berg.