Join the 2024 Bloomberg American Health Summit: Bridging Public Health and Politics
The seventh Bloomberg American Health Summit will take place on December 3 in Washington, D.C. This event, organized by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, will bring together leaders in public health, government, community organizations, researchers, and students. They will discuss evidence-based health policies crucial for improving health in a divided political environment.
The theme for this year is “Advancing Public Health in Uncertain Political Times.” The agenda will focus on using evidence and policy to combat preventable illnesses that negatively impact American life expectancy. The Summit will stress the importance of bipartisan collaboration, reforming policies that cause health disparities, and innovating to improve policy impacts on public health.
Keynote discussions will address important topics:
- Building bipartisan support for public health initiatives beyond 2025
- Protecting reproductive health
- Upholding the role of science in politics
Featured speakers include:
- Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and former Mayor of New York City
- Francis S. Collins, Distinguished Investigator at the National Institutes of Health
- Madlen Davies, Senior Editor at The Examination
- Thomas Dobbs, Former Health Commissioner of Mississippi
- Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, President and Co-Founder of the Born This Way Foundation
- Ron Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University
- Jamie Ducharme, Health Correspondent for TIME Magazine
- John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety
- Riley Griffin, Health Care Reporter for Bloomberg News
- Ellen J. MacKenzie, Dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Marion Nestle, Emerita Professor at New York University
- Joshua M. Sharfstein, Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative
- Michelle Spencer, Deputy Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative
- Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Washington Correspondent for The New York Times
- Yasmin Tayag, Staff Writer for The Atlantic
More speakers will be announced and can be found on the Summit’s website. Media members can apply to attend, with credential requests due by December 2. For inquiries, please contact bloomberghealth@allisonworldwide.com.
Michael R. Bloomberg stated, “Science and data should drive U.S. public health research and policy—not partisan politics or baseless conspiracy theories.” He emphasized that the Summit will feature experts sharing evidence-based approaches to enhance American health.
The Summit will showcase successful public health efforts and their effects on national and state policy in five focus areas: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence.
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative was established in 2016 to tackle pressing health challenges and improve health equity, using evidence and policy change. Funded by a $300 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Initiative also supports Bloomberg Fellows. This program provides scholarships for individuals working in organizations addressing critical health challenges in the U.S.
Ellen J. MacKenzie expressed enthusiasm for the Summit, stating it will foster new ideas and partnerships for public health policy in a new administration.
The main session on December 3 will be available to the public via livestream. For more details about the Summit, visit the Summit website.
About the Bloomberg American Health Initiative
The Initiative focuses on five major health issues: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence. It aims to foster a nationwide network for improving public health through data and innovative methods.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in creating lasting change in health, arts, education, environment, and government innovation worldwide. In 2023, it distributed $3 billion. For more information, visit bloomberg.org or follow them on social media.