IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING WORD LIMIT REQUIREMENTS:
Please note that each and every assignment has its own word limit.
A letter to the editor can be a powerful outlet for voicing opinion on health issues. The length of your letter should be 200-400 words in length. The objective of a letter to the editor is to increase understanding of an urgent public health problem, foster a dialogue around a specific issue involving the author and the community, and provide direction for future action on the issue. For this assignment, select a recent public health policy action at the local, state, or federal level. Prepare a response to the policy action in the form of a letter to the editor. Use the “Guidelines for Preparing a Letter to the Editor” resource and the following criteria to prepare your letter to the editor.
- Clearly state your position. Articulate whether you agree or disagree with the chosen policy action (or inaction). Highlight the uniqueness of your opinion so that it is not simply restating the position or opinion in the chosen policy action (or inaction).
- Critique the merits of the action. Describe the impact the action will have on health outcomes. Comment on what you would do differently (if you disagree with the action) or highlight why the course of action was appropriate (if you agree with the action). Critique whether the authors have used compelling data to support the action or challenge the action if you disagree. Describe whether the authors have identified criteria to measure the policy action or recommend what you would use as criteria.
- Provide recommendations. Propose specific steps that should be taken to strengthen efforts. Offer one or two suggestions, maximum. Avoid statements such as “more funding needed” or “more research needed.”
- Use appropriate tone. Use professional language that focuses on the merits of the positions. Do not include language that is disparaging or condescending or include content that is irrelevant to the argument.
- Cite references. Include a minimum of one reference and no more than five references
General Requirements
You are required to cite at least SIX sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the discussion question criteria and public health content.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is not required.
While APA style is required, solid academic writing is expected as well, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
PLEASE make sure APA citation and permalink for articles are complete and correct.
PLEASE add the links/sites below to the reference list if you use any of these readings and make sure everything is in proper APA format.
https://apastyle.apa.org/learn/quick-guide-on-refe…
Read “Health Policy, Ethics, and the Kansas Legislative Health Academy,” by Blacksher, Maree, Schrandt, Soderquist, Steffensmeier, and Peter, from American Journal of Public Health (2015).
Read “Public Health Without Fear of Consequences or Inconsequences,” by Buekens, from American Journal of Public Health (2017).
Read “State Health Department Employees, Policy Advocacy, and Political Campaigns: Protections and Limits Under the Law,” by Frattaroli, Pollack, Young, and Vernick, from Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics (2015).
Read “‘We Are Not Really Marketing Mental Health’: Mental Health Advocacy in Zimbabwe,” by Hendler et al., from Plos ONE (2016).
Read “Examining National and District-Level Trends in Neonatal Health in Peru Through an Equity Lens: A Success Story Driven by Political Will and Societal Advocacy,” by Huicho, Huayanay-Espinoza, Herrera-Perez, de Guzman, Rivera-Ch, Restrepo-Méndez, Barros, and Niño de Guzman, from BMC Public Health (2016).
Read “Social Movements and Public Health Advocacy in Action: The UK People’s Health Movement,” by Kapilashrami et al., from Journal of Public Health (2016).
Read “Engaging the Faith Community for Public Health Advocacy: An Agenda for the Surgeon General,” by Levin, from Journal of Religion and Health (2013).
Read “State Preemption: A Significant and Quiet Threat to Public Health in the United States,” by Pomeranz and Pertschuk, from American Journal of Public Health (2017).
Read “When Advocacy Obscures Accuracy Online: Digital Pandemics of Public Health Misinformation Through an Antifluoride Case Study,” by Seymour, Getman, Saraf, Zhang, and Kalenderian, from American Journal of Public Health (2015).
Read “The Role of Public Health Advocacy in Achieving an Outright Ban on Commercial Tanning Beds in Australia,” by Sinclair, Makin, Tang, Brozek, and Rock, from American Journal of Public Health (2014).
Read “APHA Campaign Shares Tools That Make Public Health Advocacy Easy,” by Wahowiak, from The Nation’s Health (2017).
Read “Conceptualizing the Use of Public Involvement in Health Policy Decision-Making,” by Li, Abelson, Giacomini, and Contandriopoulos, from Social Science and Medicine (2015).
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Read “Advocacy Coalitions Involved in California’s Menu Labeling Policy Debate: Exploring Coalition Structure, Policy Beliefs, Resources, and Strategies,” by Payan, Lewis, Cousineau, and Nichol, from Social Science and Medicine (2017).
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Read “Accessing Evidence to Inform Public Health Policy: A Study to Enhance Advocacy,” by Tabak, Eyler, Dodson, and Brownson, from Public Health (2015).
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Read “Advocates in Action: Stop Diabetes! Generating Media Coverage: How to Write Letters to the Editor,” located on the American Diabetes Association website.
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Read “Write a Letter to the Editor,” located on the American Public Health Association (APHA) website.
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Read “APHA Advocacy Tools,” by Hoppert (2016), located on the American Public Health Association (APHA) website.
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Read “Pressure vs Persuasion: The Overlooked Secret to Winning Your Advocacy Campaign,” by Pearson and Eske, from M+R Strategic Services, located on the American Public Health Association (APHA) website.
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Read “Public Health Action Campaign: PHACT Campaign,” located on the American Public Health Association (APHA) website.
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Explore the Advocacy for Impact blog, located on the PATH website.
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Explore the Advocacy and Action page of the Research!America website.
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https://www.researchamerica.org/advocacy-and-action
Explore the “Tips for Writing Effective Letters to the Editor,” by Dorfman, from Public Health Institute (2015).
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Explore the APHA Advocacy for Public Health page of the American Public Health Association (APHA) website.
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Explore the Letters to the Editor page of The New York Times website.
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https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion/letters
MUST haveat least 5 citations with the page numbers and 5 references in APA format.(The List of References should not be older than 2017 and should not be included in the word count.) Include at least one scholarly reference and appropriate in-text citations and Address all points on the DQ. One point will be deducted for not addressing each item mentioned above. Remember that presenting someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
It is important that you cover all the topics identified in the assignment. Covering the topic does not mean mentioning the topic BUT presenting an explanation from the context of ethics and the readings for this class
I am a stickler for good organization in everything. I do not want to have to dig for your answers. For instance, if an assignment asks you to provide three examples of something, I suggest that you number them 1-3 so I can find them easily. I also expect that when you submit something as a narrative, you pay attention to how you organize your thoughts: use paragraphs with a topic sentence and supporting sentences; and change paragraphs whenever you introduce a new idea. Also, if there are multiple parts to an assignment, use sub-heads within the paper to organize them.
To get maximum points you need to follow the requirements listed for this assignments 1) look at the word/page limits 2) review and follow APA rules 3) create subheadings to identify the key sections you are presenting and 4) Free from typographical and sentence construction errors.
REMEMBER IN APA FORMAT JOURNAL TITLES AND VOLUME NUMBERS ARE ITALICIZED.
References
American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author
Expert Solution Preview
Letter to the Editor: Critique of a Public Health Policy Action
Introduction:
Public health policy actions can have significant impacts on health outcomes and the well-being of communities. As a concerned citizen and healthcare professional, I am responding to a recent policy action to express my position and provide recommendations to strengthen efforts for better health outcomes.
Letter to the Editor:
To the Editor,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent policy action of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the United States. As a healthcare professional, I believe that this policy action will have a negative impact on health outcomes and will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, such as low-income families, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions.
While I recognize that the ACA is not a perfect solution, it has expanded access to healthcare for millions of Americans and has helped to reduce healthcare disparities. Repealing the ACA without a viable alternative in place will lead to increased healthcare costs, reduced access to preventive care, and more people being uninsured or underinsured.
I critique the merits of the action and the lack of consideration for the impact it will have on health outcomes. The authors have not provided compelling data to support this action, and I believe it is crucial to identify criteria to measure the policy action’s success. I also suggest that policymakers should prioritize investing in preventative care and promoting healthy lifestyles, rather than dismantling healthcare policies that offer access to care.
In conclusion, I propose specific steps that public health officials and policymakers can take to strengthen efforts for better health outcomes. This includes investing in preventative care initiatives, such as chronic disease management programs and community-driven health promotion efforts. I urge policymakers to seek input from public health professionals and community stakeholders to develop policies that address the complexities of our healthcare system and prioritize the health of all Americans.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
References:
1. Buekens, P. (2017). Public health without fear of consequences or inconsequences. American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1570-1571. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304039
2. Frattaroli, S., Pollack, K. M., Young, G., & Vernick, J. S. (2015). State health department employees, policy advocacy, and political campaigns: Protections and limits under the law. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 43(S1), 5-8. doi: 10.1111/jlme.12263
3. Hendler, R., Kidia, K., Machando, D., Crooks, M., Robertson, L., Musenge, E., … & Larkan, F. (2016). “We are not really marketing mental health”: Mental health advocacy in Zimbabwe. Plos ONE, 11(9), e0161860. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161860
4. Huicho, L., Huayanay-Espinoza, C. A., Herrera-Pérez, E., de Guzman, J. N. D., Rivera-Ch, M., Restrepo-Méndez, M. C., … & Niño de Guzman, J. (2016). Examining national and district-level trends in neonatal health in Peru through an equity lens: A success story driven by political will and societal advocacy. BMC Public Health, 16(1), doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3888-7
5. Kapilashrami, A., Gough, D., & Docherty, B. (2016). Social movements and public health advocacy in action: The UK people’s health movement. Journal of Public Health, 38(3), e250-e256. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdv154
Word Count: 400
