PHR Student Blog

Less than two weeks until the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regional Institutes on Saturday, November 7 — there is still time to register! You can register up until the night before, but we prefer that you do so as soon as possible to help us better prepare and provide the best Institute experience possible.

Help make sure we get a great crowd by inviting all of your friends who may be interested, via email or our Facebook group!

Here is some key information to help you prepare to for the Institutes:

Mid-Atlantic Institute (Washington DC)

The Mid-Atlantic Institute will take place in Ross Hall, 2300 Eye Street, at George Washington University. Make sure you’re there by 10:00am to hear the opening presenter, Leonard Rubenstein, JD, Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center for Human Rights and Public Health and former President of PHR!

• Mid-Atlantic Agenda
• Guide to Getting There, including helpful info on transit and accommodations.
• Address and Directions
• Sample Email Invitation to easily invite your friends

Northeast Institute (Boston, MA)

The Northeast Institute will take place by the Tosteson Medical Education Center (TMEC) at Harvard Medical School. Make sure you’re there by 10:00am to hear the opening presenter, Helen Potts, PHR’s Chief Health Program Officer and former Senior Research Officer UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.

• Northeast Agenda
• Guide to Getting There, including helpful info on transit and accommodations.
• Address and Directions
• Sample Email Invitation to easily invite your friends

I also want to personally introduce the amazing Regional Training Coordinators, who made these Institutes possible and are a great resource to those who will attend:

• Regan Gage, George Washington University (M3). Regan has been actively involved with PHR since she began medical school in 2007and is also a part of the national leadership of Medical Students for Choice, a group working to preserve women’s reproductive rights. Her interests lie in advancing sex education and healthcare in the adolescent Latino and immigrant community
• Alexandra Coria, Dartmouth Medical School (M2). Alexandra is planning to pursue a career in pediatric infectious disease. Prior to medical school, she worked for three years as a consultant on high-level communications and advocacy surrounding global health issues, particularly focusing on malaria, childhood pneumonia and meningitis, and vaccine science and financing.

If you have more questions about getting to DC or Boston, or need further location-specific advice, contact me and I will put you in touch with one of these great coordinators.

See you there!

With just about a month away, we have some exciting presenter updates for the November 7 Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regional Institutes, along with logistical information and publicity materials.

Don’t forget to register for your region’s Institute!

Mid-Atlantic Institute (Washington DC)

We are excited to welcome our newest afternoon session panelist on Health and Human Rights Education: Steve Hansch, Adjunct Professor from American University School of International Service, former President of Cuny Center for the Study of Societies in Crisis. Steve has extensive experience in developing, managing and evaluating projects associated with humanitarian field operations, including health, nutrition, and economic analyses in Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, and Somalia. Now a professor, he is excited to share his analysis of the importance of health and human rights education and ideas for incorporating such education in your academics.

• Read more about Steve Hansch here.
• Check out the updated Institute Agenda.
• Use our updated flyer and sample email to spread the word.
• Get info on how to get to the Institute.

Northeast Institute (Boston, MA)

The Northeast Regional Institute will be closed by our newest presenter, Sondra Crosby, MD, Assistant Professor at BU School of Medicine, former Director of Medical Services at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights. With experience in examining almost 300 survivors of torture, providing instruction to health care professionals on caring for survivors of torture, and serving as a clinical evaluator in a number of human rights investigations, Dr. Crosby is excited to share her knowledge and advice about fusing a passion for human rights with your profession.

• Read more about Dr. Crosby here.
• Check out the updated Institute Agenda.
• Use our updated flyer and sample email to spread the word.
• Get info on how to get to the Institute.

Help make sure we get a great crowd by inviting all of your friends who may be interested, via email or our Facebook group!

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about the Institutes’ program or getting to DC or Boston.

With the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regional Advocacy Institutes just over a month away, here are some updates on the Institutes’ programs, logistics, and publicity. As you get ready for your region’s Institute, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. And don’t forget to register for your Regional Advocacy Institute!

Mid-Atlantic Regional Institute

Hosted by PHR and the George Washington University Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th 9:30am-4:30pm
George Washington University, Washington DC (Directions)

Presenter Update: Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD, Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center for Human Rights and Public Health, was just confirmed to open the Institute with a session on “Advancing Human Rights in Health Practice.” Read about Leonard’s groundbreaking work on a variety of health and human rights fronts. Check out this Institute’s working agenda to learn more about this educational and engaging day.

Getting to George Washington University: Download information on how to get to Washington, DC, navigate the campus, and invite your friends to the Institute.

Help Us Publicize: With the team of PHR staff and student leaders working to provide a top-notch program, we now need your help to make the training a lively, rewarding experience. Help Publicize the institute to friends, colleagues and classmates:

• Send this email to other campus groups
• Hang up and distribute this flyer around your campus
• Join our Facebook group and invite others to join too

Read our Recruitment Plan and Tips. Remember that recruiting more students to attend the Institute also helps you to recruit new chapter members, build a presence on campus, reach out to other campus groups, boost chapter members’ enthusiasm and involvement, and ensure your chapter members receive great training.

Northeast Regional Institute

Hosted by PHR and the Harvard Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th, 9:30am-4:30pm
Harvard Medical School, Boston MA (Directions)

Presenter Update: Physicians for Human Rights’ CEO Frank Donaghue will open the day’s events. Read about Frank’s three decades of experience in the non-profit sector including his extensive work with the American Red Cross before coming to PHR. Helen Potts, PHR’s Chief Health Program Officer, will lead a session that will take attendees through a critical analysis of what the Right to Health means and how it should be applied to the health profession. Learn more about her landmark work as the Senior Research Officer to Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and check out this Institute’s working agenda.

Getting to Harvard Medical School: Download information on how to get to Boston, navigate the campus, and invite your friends to the Institute.

Help Us Publicize: With the team of PHR staff and student leaders working to provide a top-notch program, we now need your help to make the training a lively, rewarding experience. Help Publicize the institute to friends, colleagues and classmates:

• Send this email to other campus groups
• Hang up and distribute this flyer around your campus
• Join our Facebook group and invite others to join too

Read our Recruitment Plan and Tips. Remember that recruiting more students to attend the Institute also helps you to recruit new chapter members, build a presence on campus, reach out to other campus groups, boost chapter members’ enthusiasm and involvement, and ensure your chapter members receive great training.

PHR is organizing four Regional Advocacy Institutes, to be held in late September and early November. The Regional Institutes are geared toward instilling a heightened awareness of each student’s advocacy power, helping them make new connections, and sharing ideas for taking action during the academic year. Speakers will present on such topics as: the Right to Treatment, Healthcare Workforce and Systems, and Harm Reduction. The Institutes will also include workshops explaining effective ways of building campaigns, influencing policy makers, and other avenues of outreach, leadership development, and advocacy.

Check out the details of the Advocacy Institute nearest you:

• Northeast Institute will be held on November 7 at Harvard Medical School
• Mid-Atlantic Institute will be held on November 7 at George Washington University
• Midwest Institute will be held on September 26 at Rush University
• Southern Institute will be held on September 26 at Meharry Medical College

You can contact me with any questions you may have at dfox@phrusa.org. And help us spread the word about PHR’s Regional Advocacy Institutes!

• Join our Facebook Group and invite others to join
  
• Use the Tell-a-Friend tool

Northeast Institute

Hosted by PHR and the Harvard Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th, 9:30am-4:30pm
Harvard Medical School, Boston MA (Directions)

Sessions and speakers will include:

• “The Right to Health: What it is and What We Can Do to Make it a Reality”: Helen Potts, Chief Program Officer of Health Programs, PHR
• “Health and Human Right Education” Panel & Breakout
• Leading student activists presenting on sessions such as “The Elements of a Successful Advocacy Event” and “Building Relationships with your Member of Congress”

Register to attend PHR’s Northeast Regional Advocacy Institute.

Please help us spread the word about this event! Send this email to other campus groups and post this flyer around your campus. You can also check out the Northeast chapter leader recruitment plan for additional tips on how to recruit students from your school and community.

Mid-Atlantic Institute

Hosted by PHR and the George Washington University Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th 9:30am-4:30pm
George Washington University, Washington DC (Directions)

Sessions and speakers will include:

• PHR: Our Role & Our Impact: Sarah Kalloch, Outreach and Constituency Organizing Director, PHR
• “Clean Needles Save Lives: Why and What We Can Do”: Paola Barahona, Senior Global Health Advocate, PHR
• “Health and Human Rights Education” Panel & Breakout
• Leading student activists presenting on sessions such as “Organizing Effective Events” and “Building Relationships with your Member of Congress”

Register to attend PHR’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Advocacy Institute.

Please help us spread the word about this event! Send this email to other campus groups and post this flyer around your campus. You can also check out the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Leader Recruitment Plan for additional tips on how to recruit students from your school and community.

Midwest Institute

Hosted by PHR and the Rush University Student Chapter
Saturday, September 26^th, 9:30am-4:30pm
Rush University, Chicago IL (Directions)

Sessions and speakers will include:

• “Harm Reduction-Much More than Just Needle Exchange”: Sarz Maxwell, MD, FASAM, Medical Director, Chicago Recovery Alliance
• John Schumann, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Faculty Co-Chair, Human Rights Program, University of Chicago
• Leading student activists presenting on sessions such as “Organizing Effective Events” and “Meeting with Policymakers”

Register to attend PHR’s Midwest Regional Advocacy Institute.

Please help us spread the word about this event! Send this email to other campus groups and post this flyer around your campus. You can also check out the Midwest chapter leader recruitment plan for additional tips on how to recruit students from your school and community.

Southern Institute

Hosted by PHR and the Meharry Student Chapter
Saturday, September 26^th, 9:30am-4:30
Meharry Medical School, Nashville TN (Directions)

Sessions and speakers will include:

• “Making the Link Between Health and Human Rights”: Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, Amos Christie Chair in Global Health, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, Preventive Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology Director, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Institute for Global Health
• Susan A. DeRiemer, Ph.D., Professor of Professional and Medical Education, Meharry Medical College
• Leading student activists presenting on sessions such as “Organizing Effective Events” and “Building Relationships with your Member of Congress”

Register to attend PHR’s Southern Regional Advocacy Institute.

Please help us spread the word about this event! Send this email to other campus groups and post this flyer around your campus. You can also check out the Southern chapter leader recruitment plan for additional tips on how to recruit students from your school and community.

Hosted by PHR and Cornell Medical Student Chapter
Saturday, September 27, 10:30 am-5 pm
Weil Cornell Medical School, New York City, NY (directions)

Join students from throughout the Northeast Region. Learn together and share ideas and connect with others in the health and human rights community. The Regional Advocacy Institute features notable experts and experienced PHR national staff. We will tackle critical health and human rights issues and develop skills in effective organizing.

Institute sessions will include:

• Making the Link Between Health and Human Rights: Gerald E. Thomson, MD, Professor of Medicine, Columbia University and Board of Directors, PHR
• PHR: Our Role and Our Impact: Peter Witzler, Health Action AIDS Student Organizer, PHR
• Health Rights=Healthy Women: the Feminization of AIDS: Sarah Kalloch, Outreach and Constituency Organizing Director, PHR
• Broken Laws, Broken Lives: US Torture and the Role of Health Professionals: Dr. Leanh Nguyen, PhD, NYU Program for Survivors of Torture and Clinical Evaluator for PHR’s report Broken Laws, Broken Lives
• The Media as a Vehicle for Change
• Workshop Sessions on Event Planning, Campaigning, Recruitment, Influencing Policy Makers and other topics.

Register to attend PHR’s Know, Dare, Action Northeast Advocacy Institute.

Update 9/3:

Help Publicize the Institute to friends, colleagues and classmates:

Northeast Chapter Leader Recruitment Plan 

Use the Tell-a-Friend email tool
Join our Facebook Group and invite others to join
Use the Share this button below to post on social networking sites 
Hang this poster up and distribute this flyer around your campus
Send this email to your chapter list-serve and other campus groups

Update:
Presentations now available for download

Making the Link Between Health and Human Rights: Gerald E. Thomson, MD, Professor of Medicine, Columbia University and Board of Directors, PHR
PHR’s Role and Student’s Impact: Pete Witzler, Health Action AIDS Student Program Organizer
Health Rights=Healthy Women: the Feminization of AIDS: Sarah Kalloch, Director of Outreach and Constituency organizing
Broken Laws, Broken Lives: US Torture and the Role of Health Professionals: Scott Allen, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Alpert Medical School Brown University, Medical Advisor to PHR’s Campaign Against Torture

Workshop Sessions
Recruitment
8 Steps of Effective Advocacy
Influencing Policy Makers
District Meeting Talking Points for PEPFAR Thank-You Meetings
Event Planning
Using the Media
Letters to the Editor