“We cannot achieve health equity without data equity.”
Whether leading the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, mentoring graduate students at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, or speaking to lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., Nines Ponce is dedicated to making this ideal a reality. Widely respected for decades of dedication.
In his work, Ponce has helped ensure that public health data collection is not only inclusive of historically underrepresented communities. She focused on these communities, understanding their unique needs, and developing health programs and policies to address them. In recognition of this work, Ponce today received the 2024 Elizabeth Freese Health Education Award from the CDC Foundation and the James F. and Sarah T. Freese Foundation.
“Helping health policy deliver on its promise and truly benefit everyone is my life's work.” This would not have been possible without them,” said Ponce, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the Fred W. Wasserman and Pamela K. Wasserman Chair in Health Policy and Management. fielding school. “As a professor at UCLA, it is humbling to share my passion for this research with the next generation of health policy scholars.”
The Elizabeth Freese Health Education Award is a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and co-director of the Cancer Outreach Program, which uses behavioral and educational approaches to reduce cancer incidence. Established in 1992 in memory of the late daughter of James and Sarah Freese. The $50,000 prize is awarded annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of health education.
“Our scholarship and policy advocacy around data equity and representation has generated important new understanding of racial and ethnic health disparities, especially for Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. We are thrilled to be able to honor Nines Ponce,” said Dr. Judy. Mr. Monroe is President and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “The public health data infrastructure she and her UCLA Center for Health Policy Research have built in California will provide comprehensive research findings that inform state and federal policy and help communities identify key health needs. We have enabled them to tailor interventions and advocate for resources to address health disparities.”
Nearly 25 years ago, as one of the founders of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), Ponce democratized data and engaged the public in ways that informed, educated, and led to grassroots-driven policy change. He contributed to the development of a method for hand-delivery. . The center's data and research have been cited in bills and lawsuits related to California health care reform, the impact of federal “public charge” rules, food assistance for undocumented immigrants, and more.
“Those of us who work at a place like UCLA (a public research university primarily funded by taxpayers) have a responsibility to create shared knowledge and develop expertise for the public good.” said Ponce.
CHIS, led by Mr. Ponce, is the nation's largest population-based state health survey and a leading source of reliable, comprehensive data on the health and health care needs of California's diverse population. CHIS is committed to making data publicly available through freely accessible online tools and training. Last year, users performed over 107,000 queries on his CHIS database. listenChis and listenCHIS Neighborhood Edition — Over 1.8 million total queries since launch.
“It's exciting to see how many organizations and people are using data from the California Health Interview Survey,” Ponce said. “This is a powerful reminder of how putting information in the hands of the public embodies what we set out to do in founding the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.”
Mr. Ponce, an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, currently serves on the White House Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Commission's Data Disaggregation Workgroup. She is also an associate editor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at JAMA Health Forum, a member of the editorial board of Milbank Quarterly, a Health Services Research and Health Affairs Scholar, and serves on the scientific advisory board of the National Center for Health Statistics. Masu.
In 2021, Mr. Ponce served on the board of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Public Health Data Transformation Initiative. In 2019, she and her team received the Academy of Health Her Impact Award for her contributions to population health measurement to inform public policy.
Recognized as a leader in leveraging data to advance health equity, CHPR expanded its work nationally with the launch of the UCLA Center for Data Equity in December. The initiative brings together UCLA researchers and other data science experts with organizations, academics, and institutions across the country to bring historical and We support people who have been marginalized to be more accurately represented.
“In all of Dr. Ponce's work, she brings a steady, calm, and moving voice to the education movement, educating policy makers and program leaders about the distributional impact of their choices and the 'invisible… We help them understand the importance of making things visible. By ensuring data disaggregation,” said Dr. Lisa Simpson, president and CEO of Academy Health, who nominated Mr. Ponce for the Elizabeth Freese Health Education Award.
