2019 Schedule

Fueled by a sense of mission and the recognition that neither government nor the private sector alone can set society on an optimal course, foundations play a unique role in propelling change. Philanthropy’s power comes from its willingness to test new ideas, measure outcomes, and accept that failure can sometimes be the price of experimentation. Above all, it comes from the recognition that the h...

Improved housing offers a tremendous opportunity to boost health. Some of the links between substandard housing and poor health are obvious, if alarming – pests and mold promote asthma, lead poisoning irreversibly damages the brains of developing children, inadequate heating and ventilation increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Less immediately visible is the impact of unaffordable housing,...

A devastating diagnosis is enough to make anyone despair, but some hardy individuals respond by propelling themselves into action. While many diseases have support groups for exchanging information and referrals, some have also spawned patient-led movements that focus primarily on finding treatments and cures. Determined patients are getting clinical studies funded, using data platforms to share m...

The right to health has been affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitution of the World Health Organization, and codified in numerous national constitutions and policy statements. On Native American lands and African villages, in the offices of global think tanks and international aid groups, activists are creating the conditions to widen access to care. But not everyo...

Health care or child care? Food or gas? Rent or electric bill? Tens of millions of US households face those impossible choices every month because they don’t earn enough money to pay for basic needs. The federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour won’t allow a worker to afford the average price of a modest one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country. Little wonder that activists have shifted their empha...

Enduring stigma and the lack of trained professionals loom as acute barriers to mental health treatment, especially in developing nations. But tangible progress is being made through the use of community health workers, peer advisors, and interactive screening programs that provide a safe and confidential way to access mental health services before crises emerge. By elevating the conversation abou...