The purpose of this assignment is to gain some real-world/practical experience with the health policy and law process by viewing a public meeting and summarizing it in a report. There are many weekly or monthly forums and meetings hosted as town halls or meetings of city councils, public advocacy organizations, and interest groups. A list of possible meetings in posted on Canvas; feel free to look for other sites.
Each student will be required to attend one public meeting in person (or watch remotely, if in person is not feasible) of their choice that aligns with a policy or legal issue. This meeting should be attended in real-time (ie do not watch a recording of an event that occurred in the past). It does not necessarily need to address a health policy or law, but it should involve a health determinant (such as education, immigration, housing, employment, criminal justice, etc.).
The summary will be a 4-5 page double-spaced report of the meeting. The first half is a synopsis of the meeting. The second half is a summary of the issue that the organization wants to address, which should include all of the following:
An issue statement
Background information about the issue including the roles of government, organizations, communities and/or individuals
How the governing body or council believes it should be addressed
Your opinions on their decision and recommendations
Your alternative solutions to the problem not addressed by the governing body (consider social, political, legal, and/or economic perspectives)
Implications for health policy and/or health law (including as relevant organization, delivery, and financing of health services across a range of contexts, populations and/or settings)
Link: https://www.portland.gov/council/agenda/2024/4/17
