Baltimore City Health Department’s Health Policy Action Lab Prepares Next Generation of Public Health Innovators
The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD), in partnership with the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy at the Johns ÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝, recently celebrated the success of the inaugural Health Policy Action Lab (HPAL) spring cohort—a groundbreaking initiative designed to strengthen policy and advocacy capacity among local public health staff.
HPAL is a collaborative effort between BCHD, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and grassroots community partners. Its mission is to bridge the gap between research, practice, and policy, thereby improving health outcomes across Baltimore’s diverse communities. By aligning frontline experience with academic insight and community wisdom, the lab serves as both a learning hub and an action center for advancing equitable public health solutions.
Led by Sadiya Muqueeth, DrPH, MPH, assistant scientist in Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School and director of Policy and Community Partnerships at BCHD, HPAL brought together a dynamic group of staff across multiple BCHD divisions—including maternal and child health, environmental health, and chronic disease prevention—for an intensive multi-week program focused on policy development, advocacy, and systemic change.
Participants took part in interactive workshops and panel discussions with thought leaders from the Baltimore City Council, the Maryland Department of Health, and national public health organizations, including the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Some of the topics included strategic partnership building, crisis-informed policymaking, and navigating power structures in public health governance.
“Participants in the program represent the future of public health leadership,” said Muqueeth. “They’re deeply grounded in community needs and have the skill set to translate those needs into sustainable, systemic change.”
A defining characteristic of HPAL is its community-engaged policy strategy. Instead of relying on top-down solutions, participants are encouraged to engage with stakeholders, clients, or community members through listening tours, advisory boards, and collaboration with community-based organizations. This approach ensures that proposed policy solutions are not just evidence-based but also culturally sensitive and grounded in lived experience.
In addition to policy development and implementation training, HPAL sessions focused on practical application. Participants began to develop actionable policy proposals tailored to Baltimore’s most pressing public health challenges, including improved access to maternal healthcare, integrating housing and health care services, expanding mental health services, and promoting health equity.
The program also fostered cross-sector collaboration, creating lasting relationships among public health practitioners, academic researchers, and community advocates. Many participants described the experience as “transformative,” noting that it reshaped their understanding of how local government can drive meaningful change through intelligent policy design.
Looking ahead, the Lerner Center and BCHD envision HPAL as a model for other cities addressing health disparities and systemic inequities. Plans are already underway to expand the program for a fall session, and neighboring jurisdictions have expressed interest in replicating the model.
“Now more than ever, public health must be nimble, community-centered, and policy-savvy,” noted one panelist during closing remarks. “Programs like [the Health Policy Action Lab] ensure we’re ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.”
Ultimately, HPAL advances BCHD’s mission to promote health and well-being for all Baltimoreans. By integrating research, policy, and community engagement, it offers a scalable framework for building healthier, more resilient cities—starting with Baltimore.
