Dear John,
More than 60 years ago, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book warning the public about the environmental consequences resulting from using synthetic pesticides. Despite initially being met with derision, her meticulously documented findings laid the foundation for the nascent environmental movement to disrupt policy at the national level. By 1970, the United States had banned the use of DDT, created the Environmental Protection Agency, and declared April 22 to be Earth Day. More than five decades since Carson first published Silent Spring, the public's modern eco-consciousness demonstrates her work continues to make an impact.
In my position as the Chief Executive Officer of Migrant Clinicians Network, I have had a front-row seat to witness our own reverberations with respect to environmental impacts. Over 37 years, we have evolved into an organization regarded as a thought leader in the push for health justice on behalf of migrant communities and the frontline clinicians—such as Paulina Segovia, 2021’s recipient of the Kugel-Zuroweste Health Justice Award—who serve them. While meeting the needs of clinicians will always be the backbone of MCN’s impact, environmental justice, from recognizing climate change refugees to increasing protections for agricultural workers, has become an increasingly important aspect in our mission. This broadening focus played a major role in securing the history-making gift from MacKenzie Scott last month.
As we celebrate Earth Day today, acknowledging the importance of conserving this planet of ours, I also want to take a minute to address MCN’s position in stewardship on behalf of the people we serve. Earlier this week, we launched our revamped website, shining a spotlight on our impact across the globe. To that end, I am proud to share our annual review—which has undergone its own rebranding as the Impact Report—to get to the heart of our success: people who have believed in us enough to invest in us, like you. From sharing our award-winning publications on social media to making in-kind contributions for our calendar of events, MCN’s influence is directly attributable to your support, and we recognize your own effort in the push to achieve health justice for vulnerable populations.
In short, thank you for helping us to create a better world.
In gratitude,
Karen Mountain, MBA, MSN, RN
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