Some weeks remind you why you chose this work. The past two weeks did that twice.

From October 14 to 16, I presented PH360 at the inaugural AIxPH Conference, hosted by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI). Just a few days later, from October 19 to 21, I returned to the Bloomberg American Health Summit, hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bloomberg Philanthropies. One event looked ahead at what AI can do for public health. The other reminded me who public health is for, and who does the work.

AIxPH: Bringing PH360 to the conversation

There is something special about being part of the first year of anything. The inaugural AIxPH Conference brought together people who care about the same question: how can artificial intelligence be applied responsibly and ethically to advance public health?

I was honored to represent Flourish & Thrive Labs and share demos of Public Health 360 (PH360), our HIPAA-compliant AI platform designed for health departments. PH360 was built by public health professionals, for public health professionals. We know the pressure of tight deadlines, limited staff, and growing community needs, so we built PH360 to fit how health department teams actually work.

What struck me most was that the conversation was not about whether we should use AI. It is already part of almost everything we do. Instead, the focus was on how to use it well: how to protect sensitive data, how to keep people in the loop and on the loop, and how to make sure these tools serve the communities we are accountable to.

I was also grateful to sit in on discussions about data centers and their environmental costs. Using AI ethically also means protecting the health of our environment and of the communities that live near these facilities. I appreciated that the conference made room for a range of viewpoints, covering both the benefits of AI and the costs that come with its use. 

The Bloomberg American Health Summit: Coming home

As an alumna of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where I was a Bloomberg Fellow, the Bloomberg American Health Summit always feels a little like coming home.

Public health is demanding work, and it is easy to run on empty, especially in the last few years. This summit fills my public health cup back up every time. The Bloomberg American Health Initiative centers on five issues that shape how long and how well Americans live: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence. Spending a few days with leaders, practitioners, and change makers who are working to build a healthier future reminds me that none of us do this work alone, and of just how much ground public health covers.

The best part, as always, was the people. I reconnected with old friends from my fellowship cohort, caught up with fellow alumni who keep coming back year after year, and met new colleagues whose work I am excited to follow. Those connections are what make the Bloomberg Fellows community so meaningful; it does not end at graduation.

The common thread

At first glance, these were two very different events: one focused on emerging technology, the other on the broader future of public health. Back to back, they told the same story.

Technology only matters if it helps people do their jobs better and serve their communities more fully. The energy at AIxPH came from practitioners who want tools they can trust. The energy at the Bloomberg Summit came from people who have dedicated their careers to that same mission. Innovation and community are not separate conversations. They need each other.

That is the heart of what we are building at Flourish & Thrive Labs. PH360 exists to give health department teams back their time, so they can spend more of it on the human work that only they can do. I am so thankful to work for Flourish & Thrive Labs, which supported my attendance at both conferences, gave me the opportunity to present our product, and is building systems that help public health professionals work with more intention and focus.

Thank you to NNPHI for hosting AIxPH, and to the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Bloomberg Philanthropies for bringing the Summit to life. I am also grateful to everyone who attended our session, asked thoughtful questions, or simply stopped to say hello. If we connected at either event, I would love to keep the conversation going. And if you want to learn more about how PH360 can support your health department, please reach out.”