Newly Released Advocacy Priorities

Social Mission Alliance Unveils Advocacy Priorities

Washington, D.C, April 11, 2023. – The Social Mission Alliance’s Advocacy Advisory Council hosted a virtual summit to convene leaders and activists in pursuit of health equity, and release newly formed advocacy priorities. This inaugural event introduced members of the council, facilitated a discussion with audience members, and included a panel discussion with two prominent activists.

The Advocacy Advisory Council, led by Robert Rock, MD and Raashmi Krishnasamy, MPH, formed last October and was charged with establishing a plan to leverage Social Mission Alliance’s health workforce research expertise and network for advocacy efforts around social mission that will reach a wider audience.

Members of the Advocacy Advisory Council include Davarian L. Baldwin, Ashanti Carter, Addys Maria Castillo, Stephanie E. Farquhar, Keilah A. Jacques, Raashmi Krishnasamy, Robert Rock, and Manisha Sharma.

Input from the Advocacy Advisory Council culminated in Social Mission Alliance’s newly released advocacy priorities, which are:

• Ensuring that the diversity of the health workforce matches the health workforce of the nation, and
• Transforming social mission education to make sure that all health professions trainees are prepared to treat all the diverse communities of the country.

“Our advocacy centers around the theme that we want to have a workforce that is relatable, reliable, and effective to serve our nation’s communities,” said Raashmi Krishnasamy, MPH, member of the Advocacy Advisory Committee.

In pursuit of these priorities, the Advocacy Advisory Committee will synergize with current policy and advocacy efforts within the Social Mission Alliance. An example of such efforts is the Social Mission Alliance’s Supreme Court Task Force, led by Edward Salsberg. The task force is exploring potential responses to pending Supreme Court decisions regarding Affirmative Action in higher education. Restrictions pose a threat to student and workforce diversity, leading this group to focus on documenting the benefits of a diverse student body and health professional workforce, as well as strategies, other than race conscious admissions, that appear to be effective in promoting a diverse student body and health professional workforce.

Those wishing to get involved with the Social Mission Alliance’s advocacy efforts can

• Join the Advocacy Coalition as a part of the Steering Committee or as a general Member. Interested folks can reach out to Robert Rock (rrock58@gwu.edu) or Raashmi Krishasamy (raashmik@gwmail.gwu.edu).
• Join the SCOTUS Task Force to strategize around how to advocate with the pending Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action. If interested, please reach out by emailing info@socialmission.org.