Legislative and Health Policy Advocacy on Behalf of Vulnerable Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact upon vulnerable populations and has revealed weaknesses in systems of public health governance. This program will address public health infrastructure issues foregrounded by the pandemic and identify goals for future policy making. The speakers will report on milestones in legislative and advocacy work in New York on behalf of older adults, persons with disabilities, persons with dementia, persons and communities of color, and other marginalized groups, and share their own journeys as advocates working with organizations and groups across the various professions, including the New York State Bar Association, the Disability Rights community, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Speakers

Thomas G. Merrill, JD, Moderator, NYSBA Public Health Law Committee Co-Chair

James W. Lytle, JD, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

Mary Beth Morrissey, JD, PhD, NYSBA Health Law Section COVID Task Force Chair and Public Health Committee Co-Chair; American Public Health Association (APHA) Aging & Public Health Section Policy Committee Co-Chair

Joseph J. Ranni, JD, LL.M., NYSBA Disability Rights Committee Co-Chair

Sheila E. Shea, JD, NYSBA Long Term Care Task Force and Disability Rights Committee; Director, NYS Mental Hygiene Legal Service, Third Dept.

Michael Lepore, PhD, Livewell; APHA Aging & Public Health Policy Committee Co-Chair