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Omaha, Nebraska - Healthcare workers are witnesses to the limitations that policies can have on healthcare, which is why Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) is committed to teaching students how to take action to create change.
As part of the Advocacy 101 Workshop presented by NMC’s Social Justice and Inclusion Council, former Nebraska state senator Amanda McGill Johnson will share how to be engaged in legislative advocacy.
McGill Johnson will talk about the state and federal legislative processes and share how people can advocate for issues they care about.
The workshop is from 1-2 p.m. October 2 in Clark Center room B244.
“We know that in order to fulfill our mission of improving the health and well-being of our community and address the social determinants of health, we need to advocate on the local, state and federal level,” said Allison Kinney-Walker, associate professor and chair of the Social Justice and Inclusion Council.
McGill Johnson is the executive director of Nebraska Cures, a nonprofit organization promoting, supporting and advocating for scientific research and education.
She is also a former two-term Nebraska state senator and a current member of the Millard Public Schools Board of Education. She also served as district director and interim chief of staff to Congressman Brad Ashford.
“If you have ever wanted to reach out to one of your elected officials about something you cared about, but you weren't sure how to do it or were worried that your voice wouldn't matter, this session is for you,” Kinney-Walker said. “You will feel better equipped to engage in legislative advocacy after this workshop.”
The workshop supports the College’s Education Citizen curriculum, which focuses on helping graduates become competent practitioners and engaged citizens serving as change agents.
“Because health inequities and the powerful drivers of the social determinants of health are based in social structures and policies, efforts to address them need to focus on policy change,” said Kiley Petersmith, director of NMC’s Center for Diversity and Community Engagement (CDCE). “Healthcare professionals can bring a health and social justice lens to call attention to policies that either create or eliminate health inequities and can improve the underlying conditions that frame people’s health.”
The workshop is open to faculty, staff and students at NMC.
“Advocacy can be overwhelming, but we have an amazing opportunity to learn from Amanda McGill Johnson. She is great at making the legislative process easy to understand and sharing how we can start to engage in advocacy,” said Kinney-Walker.