Example Advocate

Andre Blackman is excited about how technology and new ways of thinking can produce Public Health 2.0. Because public health and new media are both focused on the people, he believes there should be parallels in how they both interact. He looks for ways to use tools such as social media, mobile technologies, and integrated offline engagement to generate dialogue and new ideas for greater impact.

Blackman has worked on health communications for organizations including the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and other government and private health organizations. He is co-founder of the FastForward Health Film Festival and managing editor of the Pulse + Signal blog.

Blackman likes to highlight individuals, organizations and projects that come up with great ideas for empowering communities to lead better, healthier lives on Pulse + Signal and via Twitter as @mindofandre. His aims to equip health professionals with the understanding of these new tools and how they can be useful for crafting meaningful movements.

“In this new era of two way conversations, open innovation and an abundance of information, we’re at a great place where we can help change lives for the better on both small and large scales,” he says.

Blackman has participated in conversations about HIV/AIDS, mobile health, health disparities and new forms of health journalism. He served as an expert commentator for the Changemakers Innovations For Health and Patients - Choices - Empowerment competitions, where he shared his thoughts about the future of public health, elevating patients’ voices to improve health outcomes, and “reverse innovation.”

“The mission of Changemakers aligns perfectly with what I'm about these days--making the world a better place by encouraging innovation and new ideas to flourish,” he said. “Everyday, around the world, people are getting connected with the tools and resources they need to answer the question: ‘How do I make this situation better for myself and my community?’

“Changemakers gives them a voice--and in this time in our lives, nothing is more useful.”