In this episode, we talk with Andy Wessel, community health planner with the Douglas County Health Department in Omaha, Nebraska, about the role of the public health department, and how civity practices can help local public health officials navigate differences and help residents feel heard and seen.
The public health department is involved in anything that can impact the health of populations – from obvious activities, such as educating the public about COVID-19, to activities that may not be immediately clear, such as being involved in transit planning or declaring racism a public health crisis.
To be effective and really reach the publics that they serve, public health departments must figure out how to communicate with those who may disagree with government officials and each other.
Civity is a culture of deliberately engaging in relationships of respect and empathy with others who are different.
Our world today is one of haves and have-nots, insiders and outsiders, people who belong and people who are marginalized because they are other.
By reaching out person-to-person to others who are different, all of us together create the relational infrastructure to build solidarity, justice, and resilience in our communities.
Our differences are our strengths. This is ‘civity.’
Our podcast showcases interviews with people bridging power-based divides to move communities forward on issues grounded in inequities.
In this episode, we explore the role of the public health department, and how civity practices can help local public health officials navigate differences and help residents feel heard and seen.
The public health department is involved in anything that can impact the health of populations – from obvious activities, such as educating the public about COVID-19, to activities that may not be immediately clear, such as being involved in transit planning or declaring racism a public health crisis.
To be effective and really reach the publics that they serve, public health departments must figure out how to communicate with those who may disagree with government officials and each other.
