A Mini-Day on the Hill for Health Equity

The American Heart Association in Minnesota is a proud member of the Health Equity Working Committee (HEWC). The group consists of neighborhood and community organizations that represent Asian, Latino, African, African American, Pacific Islander, Recent Immigrant and GLBTQ populations that are concerned about Health Equity and ending Health Disparities in their communities.

On March 23rd 2011, the HEWC held their first public event: A Mini-Day on the Hill for Health Equity. The purpose of the event was to provide leadership training to community members who wanted to know more about Health Disparities, what the State of MN is doing about them and how the legislative process worked. Despite a terrible late season snow/ice storm we saw more than 50 attendees and the group heard presentations from the HEWC as well as from 6 Legislators and 2 Department of Health Staff. Following the event 17 attendees met individually with their representatives to discuss the Health of their communities while others attended a hearing of the House Health & Human Services Committee.

The day was an unprecedented success as we were assured that a group like this had never assembled at the state capitol and the attendees are already excited for a full blown Health Equity takeover of the Capitol in 2012!