March 2026 Health Equity Zone (HEZ) Learning Community

This Learning Community is part of the HEZ Training and Technical Assistance Program (TTAP). The purpose of HEZ TTAP is to provide forums for cumulative learning, knowledge sharing, leadership development, and alignment necessary to support the HEZ initiative’s network of community members, organizations, and institutions in their efforts to achieve population and systems-level change to advance equity in RI.

Registration, Breakfast, and Exhibit Walk.…………8:30-9:30 a.m.

Opening Remarks…………………………………….…….9:30-9:45 a.m.

• Emcee: Alison Croke, President and CEO, Wood River Health, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Washington County HEZ

Morning Plenary…………………………………………………………9:45-11:45 a.m.

Environmental Health is Public Health – Keynote Presentation

• Terry Gray, Director, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM),
• Chris Gaynor, Community Engagement Specialist, DEM

Who is the DEM? – Presentation and Panel Discussion

• Moderator: Amanda Cantrell, Chief of Staff, DEM
• Panelists: Susan Forcier, Deputy Director of Environmental Protection, DEM; Ken Ayars, Chief of Agriculture; Jason McNamee, Deputy Director of Natural Resources

Lunch, Networking, and Exhibit Walk…………………………………………..11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Break and Travel………………………………………………………………………………12:45-1 p.m.

60-Minute Workshops……………………………………………………………………..1-2 p.m.

Break and Travel………………………………………………………………………………………2-2:15 p.m.

90-Minute Workshops………………………………………………………………………2:15-3:45 p.m.

Evaluation QR Code and Resident Gift Card Pickup……………………………………3:45-4 p.m.

60-Minute Workshops…………………………………………………………..1-2 p.m.

Community Overdose Engagement Speed Networking

Match up with new partners, ask targeted questions, and get to know the work others are doing, populations served, geographical location, etc. Audience: HEZ CODE Grantees and their partners, Rhode Island Foundation Grantees, and others involved in community overdose engagement work.

Engaging Community, Sharing Leadership: Partnering to Advance Health Equity through Research

Alison Tovar, Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, Brown University

Learn how the Community Engagement Studios model and Advance RI-CTR’s Community Engagement and Outreach Core align research with community-identified priorities. Explore how researchers and community members can co-develop research that is culturally responsive, actionable, and relevant to local needs, translating to more effective policy and practice. Audience: HEZ leads and staff, residents, Community Health Workers (CHWs), community partners, researchers, and anyone interested in research.

Roots, Rights, and the Road Ahead: The History of Disability Rights and the Challenges of Today

Elisabeth Hubbard and Ana Lia Alcolea-Tassia, Governor’s Commission on Disabilities

It’s been 50 years since the first federal disability rights law was passed, and the fight to preserve these rights continues. Discuss the history that led to the passage of disability rights laws nationally and how Rhode Islanders with disabilities fought to control their own movement. Understand the current attacks on disability rights and how to defend them. Audience: All are welcome.

Panel Discussion: Climate and Environmental Resiliency at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)

Hear from program staff across RIDOH who work at the intersection of health and the environment and how to get involved. Audience: All are welcome.

90-Minute Workshops…………………………………………………2:15-3:45 p.m.

Taste of Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)

Chintana Ahlund, RIDOH; Rachel Young, PLTI, Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN)

Learn about PLTI and how it defines parent leadership with examples of session topics, and an explanation of collective action and the Ripple Effect. See data from recent cohorts, participate in a brief interactive activity to gain firsthand experience of the PLTI approach, and discover how it can benefit families across HEZ communities. Audience: HEZ Leads, CHWs, residents, parents, caregivers, and anyone interested in PLTI.

Nwando Egbuche Ofokansi, RIDOH; Maria Saillant, West Warwick Public Library and West Warwick HEZ; Denise Greene, West End Community Center and 02907 HEZ

Raise your consciousness! Strengthen your self-knowledge by examining and distinguishing attitudes towards race and racism with the Hoffman Integrated Racial Identity Development Model, a powerful tool for unlearning racial conditioning. Participants will also learn to better understand and engage with people at different points in the journey of racial understanding. Audience: All are welcome, especially previous Racial Equity workshop participants and those who are at intermediate or advanced levels of racial equity praxis.

DEM Track:

Part 1 Climate Impacts 101: What We Are Doing

Joe Poccia, Air Quality Specialist II, DEM

Learn how climate change is impacting the state and what DEM is doing to address those impacts. Understanding climate change and how it will impact us helps us build stronger, more resilient communities.

Part 2 – Parks 101: Finding Your Next Favorite Spot

Jason McNamee, Bureau of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, DEM

The Division of Parks and Recreation manages over 8,200 acres of land, including parks, beaches, campgrounds, and other areas. Across the state, visitors can swim, paddle, fish, sail, hike, hunt, or wander. Learn how to find your next favorite spot! Audience: All are welcome.

Champion Level

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island

Supporter Level

Brown University School of Public Health

Navigant Credit Union

Friend Level

Care New England

Health Source RI

Horizon Healthcare Partners

William James College

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Host or Publisher Rhode Island Department of Health