(Separate Fee Required) SSRPCB-3: Translating and Disseminating Knowledge to Policymakers

Marylou Sudders is a former Secretary of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts from 2015-2023 and former Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health. Her work primarily focused on addressing public health challenges such as reform for equitable behavioral health, child welfare, and Medicaid restructuring. During her time in office, Shudders oversaw 12 state agencies, lead investments to the implementation of the Behavioral Health RoadMap, and resolved judicial consent decrees involving children's mental health, and acquired services for brain injuries. Shudders also played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic and advanced critical public health interventions and human services, spearheading Massachusetts in The Commonwealth Fund's 2022 Scorecard on State Health Performance as a state that vastly surpassed all other states in its COVID-19 response.

With her background as a social worker, this workshop aims to emphasize the importance of collaboration, negotiation, and communication among diverse stakeholders, translate knowledge from various groups into a comprehensive public health strategy, disseminate evidence-based strategies, and integrate patient and family experiences in order to ensure that public health campaigns are effective and acknowledge affected communities. Through the workshop, attendees will further their understanding of public policy and acquire greater knowledge in bridging the gap between complex health issues and actionable policies in order to ensure that the needs of vulnerable populations and communities are met.