The American Public Health Association Endorses Single-Payer Health System Reform.

Health care is a human right. Achieving universal health insurance coverage for all US residents requires significant system-wide reform. The most equitable and cost-effective health care system is a public, single-payer (SP) system. The rapid growth in national health expenditures can be addressed through a system that yields net savings over projected trends by eliminating profit and waste. With universal health insurance coverage through SP financing, providers can focus on optimizing delivery of services, rather than working within a system covered by payers who have incentives to limit costs regardless of benefit. Rather, with a SP, the people act as their own insurer through a partnership with provider organizations where tax dollars work for everyone. Consumer choice is then based on the best care to meet need with no out-of-pocket payments. SP financing is the best option to ensure equity, fairness, and public health priorities align with medical needs, providing incentives for wellness. Consumer choice will drive market forces, not provider network profits or insurer restrictions. This approach benefits public health, as everyone will have universal access to needed care, with treatment plans developed by providers based on what works best for the patient. In 2021, the American Public Health Association adopted a policy statement calling for comprehensive reforms to implement a SP system. The proposed action steps in this policy will help build a healthier nation, saving lives and reducing wasted health care expenditures while addressing inequities rooted in social, demographic, mental health, economic, and political determinants.

Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology: Lawrence Hal Gerstein.

The Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology is given to individuals who have made sustained and enduring contributions to international cooperation and the advancement of knowledge in psychology. The 2019 award winner is Lawrence Hal Gerstein. Gerstein "has made innovative contributions to the advancement of a liberatory international psychology through his scholarship, training, and mentoring of professionals and students. Dr. Gerstein has an intimate understanding of the complexities associated with western psychologists "crossing borders." His projects in India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Jordan, and China have involved immersing himself in communities of the Global South and centering the lived experiences, challenges, and needs of local partners to support and empower them and promote indigenous models of psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

International Humanitarian Award: Gargi Roysircar.

The International Humanitarian Award recognizes extraordinary humanitarian services and activism by psychologists, including professional and volunteer work conducted primarily in the field with underserved populations. Award recipients are psychologists who, by their extraordinary service at a difficult time, improve the lives and contribute to the well-being of people in a large or small geographic area anywhere in the world. The 2019 award for International Humanitarian is presented to Gargi Roysircar. "For her significant contributions to international mental health practice and assessment, particularly in disasteraffected communities, Gargi Roysircar has enriched our understanding of cultural identities and contextual trauma and resilience of nationalities. Her research on immigrant and refugee experiences challenges psychologists to expand their own awareness and consider the international implications of their work. Gargi Roysircar has participated in mental health counseling in postearthquake Haiti; tsunami-affected Southern India; the United States Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; Tabasco, Mexico, following Hurricane Dean; and for HIV/AIDS-infected and affected children and women in South Africa and Botswana. She is an outstanding mentor to her students, many of whom are now cross-cultural researchers and international service providers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting.

Fostering dialogue and action on health equity.

Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions: Michael F. Scheier.

The American Psychological Association Awards for Distinguished Scientific Contributions are presented to persons who, in the opinion of the Committee on Scientific Awards, have made distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology. Michael F. Scheier is a recipient of the 2018 award "for significant theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of goal-directed behavior and self-regulation. Carver and Michael F. Scheier's collaboration over the past 30 years has focused on control theory to explain how people self-regulate goal-directed behaviors using standards, expectancies, and feedback loops." Scheirer's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Breast Cancer and Occupation: The Need for Action: APHA Policy Statement Number 20146, Issued November 18, 2014.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in the United States and other countries, making it a major public health concern. Despite significant scientific evidence about its known or suspected causes, research and prevention measures to identify and eliminate occupational and other environmental hazards and risk factors for breast cancer remain largely overlooked. As a result, hazards continue unabated for women generally, especially those who work outside the home. The science linking breast cancer and occupation in particular is growing. Researchers have identified commonly used chemicals that induce breast tumors in test animals. Animal studies link chemicals that mimic reproductive hormones to elevated breast cancer rates. Other animal and human studies link chemical exposures to increased breast cancer rates, including two recent investigations focused on occupational hazards. But the latter are the exception. Studies that attempt to identify and characterize workplace agents linked to breast cancer, as well as intervention studies focusing on the use of less toxic processes and substances, are limited. In what might be construed as a case of gender and social class bias, many research and funding agencies have ignored or downplayed the role of occupational studies despite their relevance to prevention efforts. Action required starts with making a national priority of promoting and supporting research on occupational and other environmental causes of breast cancer. Other public health actions include hazard surveillance and primary prevention activities such as reductions in the use of toxic materials, informed substitution, and green chemistry efforts. The original document is accessible at the APHA website, http://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2015/01/07/14/55/breast-cancer-and-occupation.

Updating the definition and role of public health nursing to advance and guide the specialty.

National changes in the context for public health services are influencing the nature of public health nursing practice. Despite this, the document that defines public health nursing as a specialty--The Definition and Role of Public Health Nursing--has remained in wide use since its publication in 1996 without a review or update. With support from the American Public Health Association (APHA) Public Health Nursing Section, a national Task Force, was formed in November 2012 to update the definition of public health nursing, using processes that reflected deliberative democratic principles. A yearlong process was employed that included a modified Delphi technique and various modes of engagement such as online discussion boards, questionnaires, and public comment to review. The resulting 2013 document consisted of a reaffirmation of the one-sentence 1996 definition, while updating supporting documentation to align with the current social, economic, political, and health care context. The 2013 document was strongly endorsed by vote of the APHA Public Health Nursing Section elected leadership. The 2013 definition and document affirm the relevance of a population-focused definition of public health nursing to complex systems addressed in current practice and articulate critical roles of public health nurses (PHN) in these settings.