The team working at Faribault and Martin County Health and Human Services is distinctive for many reasons, including the fact that two staff members have the same first name: Kaylee Diefenderfer is the Health Communications Planner, and Kaley Hernandez is the Public Health Planner and Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Coordinator.

Diefenderfer and Hernandez share more than their names. They also share a passion for their work, particularly the Bridges out of Poverty training their agency provides. Funded partly by a Minnesota Health Equity Networks grant, Bridges Out of Poverty is designed to give participants a deeper understanding of poverty. It promotes empathy among staff and community members, which results in stronger relationships among all.

“We use Bridges out of Poverty to develop programs and strategies that improve relationships at the front-line level, improve outcomes at the organizational level, and improve systems at the community level.” – Adapted from Faribault and Martin Counties website

In 2019, Bridges Out of Poverty became a required training for all agency staff and is now part of the onboarding process for new hires. The agency has two certified Bridges Out of Poverty trainers, Diefenderfer being one of them, which has allowed them to offer the training to the broader community. To date, Bridges Out of Poverty has been offered to schools, churches, and other community groups. Many participants have since become program champions.

“We have seen immense success! We now have an agency-wide Bridges Out of Poverty workgroup and have modified some of our processes because of what we have learned. And community members and organizations have tried and implemented practices presented on the first day of training!”    – Kaylee Diefenderfer

This past September, Shor Salkas and I presented the Health Equity Network project to our Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Grant Manager. It was impressive to pause, reflect, and report on all the work of network participants, staff, grantees, and supporters. Here’s some of the story: 

In the Spring of 2021, Kou Thao, the director of the Center for Health Equity, asked the Center for Public Health Practice and its Community Engagement (CE) Team to develop a funding proposal for a statewide equity network project. The team’s engagement and equity expertise and the section’s relationships with local and tribal public health provided a strong foundation for reaching every part of the state.

In the Summer of 2021, we were awarded a CDC COVID Equity grant to build the relationships between the health equity capabilities of governmental and community-based public health organizations through regional networks and grants. The CE Team researched the components of successful networks through meetings with existing network projects and a literature review.  From this, they developed a project design, position descriptions, evaluation approaches, and more.  

Between the Spring and Fall of 2022, all Networks staff were onboard.  In a phenomenal effort for a new project with new staff, six regional networks were launched, and the first request for grant proposals was posted.

As of September 2024, the Health Equity Networks have increased knowledge, skills, and abilities for health equity and community partnerships by generating stronger relationships, fostering new partnerships, and spurring organizational changes. 2285 people attended statewide and regional gatherings; network coordinators met with 478 partners; 1383 people participated in statewide and local trainings; 50 organizations were funded; and about 5300 people received the monthly newsletter. 

My participation in developing, launching, and implementing the Health Equity Networks project is one of my “points of pride” as I move into retirement. With future funding now secured, I know we are all looking forward to what is yet to come!

This is a time of change and transition, and a lot is happening with the Minnesota Health Equity Networks. For example, we are in the midst of hiring a new Northwest Regional Coordinator.

We are also saying goodbye to Jeannette Raymond, who plans to retire in mid-November. Jeannette has uplifted health equity work, community engagement work, narrative work, and my own work. She has been a true partner in creating the Minnesota Health Equity Networks. Thank you, Jeannette, for all you have done for us!

This season also brings an opportunity to connect with those who have come before. In many cultures and traditions, our ancestors return to us at this time, and we also pay homage to them. When I think of these traditions, it does not feel spooky at all. Instead, it feels like a time of connection, listening, remembering, learning, and honoring who and what has come before us.

We in the Health Equity Networks constantly look to those who have come before us, listening and learning from their stories and experiences. This informs what we are doing now and what we hope to establish for our descendants. I often tell my team that this health equity work is generational. It is an opportunity to do what we can now to create a more equitable world for our descendants to build upon.

What we do alongside our partners working in many areas of Tribal health is a beautiful example of this ongoing work. In the Networks, we acknowledge Tribal sovereignty, work to build government-to-government relationships, and strive to honor and understand the histories that have led to the moments we are in right now. We look to our leaders at the Office of American Indian Health, who support MDH in determining how to do this in meaningful ways, and we are grateful for their partnership as we all move toward healing for the future.

Take care,
shor

Regional gatherings

Thanks to all who joined our October regional gatherings. Stay tuned for more!