The Aspen Global Innovators Group and the Aetna Foundation Launch New Fellowship for Building Healthy Communities

Applications are now being accepted for the one-year fellowship program, which will be hosted by the Aspen Institute.

Applications to the Fellowship are now being accepted through the program website.

Contact:
Gina Rogari
Program Manager
Aspen Global Innovators Group
The Aspen Institute
gina.rogari@aspeninst.org
+1-202-736-3519

Washington, DC, September 17, 2018 – The Aspen Global Innovators Group at the Aspen Institute and the Aetna Foundation have launched a new fellowship for community leaders addressing health inequities through the lens of the social determinants of health. Five fellows will be selected to participate in a curated, one-year program focused on public speaking, writing, and networking to develop their voices as experts in the field of the social determinants of health.

“We know that where you live impacts how well and how long you live. Research shows that 60 percent of a person’s life expectancy is driven by factors outside of the doctor’s office, like access to clean water, physical activity, and healthy food,” said Dr. Garth Graham, President of the Aetna Foundation and Vice President of Community Health for Aetna, Inc. “The fellowship program will support individuals that are already making a difference in their respective communities, helping them to do even more in their local areas and spreading the word on their positive work.”

In the US and across the globe, people are taking community-building in their own hands, bringing fresh produce to food deserts, demanding better public locations for physical activity, and advocating for clean water, public safety, and quality health services.

The goal of the Aspen-Aetna Healthy Communities Fellowship is to recognize these leaders as experts in the field of the social determinants of health. Through new conversations and ideas on cultivating healthy communities to major public platforms, including Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight Health and Aspen Ideas Incubator, the Fellowship can help cultivate a global network of community health leaders.

“The Aetna Foundation and the Aspen Global Innovators Group are committed to amplifying the voices of leaders making an impact in their communities,” says Peggy Clark, Executive Director of the Aspen Global Innovators Group. “We need to bring these changemakers to the forefront of the conversations happening in the US and around the world about how social, economic, and environmental factors impact health in our communities.”

Applications will be open through November 15, 2018. Five fellows will be selected and notified by December 15, 2018.