Essentials of Health Justice, published on April 4 by Jones and Bartlett Learning, examines the social and structural determinants of health, health equity, social justice, health policy, and systems of care for underserved populations.
The book’s approach of focusing on the legal, structural, and justice issues underlying health disparities sets it apart. It details modern-day consequences of historical discrimination in health care, the many law-related social determinants that underpin health disparities, and the adequacy of current safety net programs affecting the health of vulnerable populations. It also discusses concrete strategies for bringing about change to promote health justice.
The book’s authors, Joel Teitelbaum of George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH), and Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler of Brown University, acknowledge the tireless efforts of “all of the legal-aid lawyers, clinicians, and community workers who leverage the power of law to help lift up those in society whose life circumstances have other ideas.” They also credit Richard Riegelman, who was the founding dean and is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, medicine and health policy, at Milken Institute SPH, and Mike Brown of Jones and Bartlett Learning, for making health justice an integral part of a new series of books aimed at educating students across disciplines in the many facets of population health.
The book's publication was highly anticipated, and it is getting quite a bit of attention, says Sophie Teague of Jones and Bartlett Learning.