The Person Behind the Number: Placing People in Context
Public health is driven by data, but data alone can’t tell us who people are, what they need, or how to reach them. Too often, we reduce individuals and communities to statistics, overlooking the social, cultural, and structural contexts that shape their experiences and outcomes. This session invites public health professionals to slow down, reflect, and re-center people in our programs, policies, and partnerships. Together, we’ll explore how a context-first mindset can deepen our understanding, strengthen public health strategies, and foster more meaningful engagement with the communities we serve.
We’ll reflect on where we’ve been—and where we need to go—as we navigate public health practice in increasingly divided and tumultuous times.
Learning Objectives:
Following this session, participants will be able to:
1. Describe how individual and community contexts—including cultural, social, geographic, and structural factors—shape public health outcomes and engagement.
2. Recognize the limitations of data-driven approaches that overlook lived experience, and articulate the value of integrating narrative and contextual understanding into public health practice.
3. Reflect on the role of public health professionals in either reinforcing or challenging systems that decontextualize people and communities.
4. Identify practical strategies for applying a context-first mindset to public health program design, communication, and community engagement.
Speaker
Darci L. Graves is what happens when compassion, cultural competency, and charisma converge. A nationally recognized expert in culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS), she has spent over two decades translating complex concepts—like inclusion, equity, and cultural humility—into practical, lasting strategies for healthcare, government, and advocacy organizations.
As an educator and strategist, Darci is known for making CLAS and health equity both accessible and actionable, delivering trainings that resonate across roles and sectors. Her approach blends technical expertise with storytelling and a deep commitment to human-centered care.
A cancer survivor and author of The Art of Falling Up, she brings a powerful personal lens to her work, infusing it with resilience, wit, and heart. Whether guiding hospitals through equity-centered transformation or helping learners reframe challenges, Darci sparks reflection and inspires action—always with empathy, clarity, and just the right touch of humor.
