Internal organizational policies and practices influence all aspects of public health infrastructure and systems. They shape how health departments design, implement, and evaluate their essential services. Written policies and practices reflect the organization’s values and culture. Health departments need to clearly articulate equity and justice values and ensure they are reflected in policies and practices. Values-aligned policies and practices help staff feel a sense of belonging, facilitate more effective equity strategies and practices, and support other counter-cultural practices necessary for transformative change.
Health departments can use an equity lens to assess and change internal policies. Backbone operation support systems, such as finance, human resources, and community engagement, are an effective place to begin assessing and changing internal policies, as these systems cut across all organizational divisions and can have wide influence and impact. (author introduction)
#P4HEwebinarQ3_2025