Manel smiling in suit

Photo by Bart Nagel

Public Health Policy & Strategy

Practical knowledge.
Breadth of expertise.
Interdisciplinary training.

I use my real-world experience to help you bridge the gap between vision and application and find solutions to pressing public health challenges.

FEATURED CLIENTS

Trinity Alps

Do you want to make the world a better place by creating opportunities for people and communities to live happier, healthier lives?

Let’s work together! I provide expertise and technical know-how to help my clients operationalize their public health projects.

It is what I’ve tried to do my entire career: as a senior health program planner at a local public health department, as a public interest attorney in an HIV/AIDS law project, and as a vice president at a national non-profit focused on using policy to promote health equity. There are many ways to work towards a stronger public health system that works for everyone.

Hello, I’m Manel Kappagoda, JD, MPH.

Manel Kappagoda talking to a group of people at a conference

My clients are varied in terms of size and structure, but they are all part of the critical ecosystem working to increase health equity and improve health outcomes. Typically, I work with visionary leaders who want to translate their vision into actionable strategies.

Like my clients, I love working on complex public health projects that have the potential to improve health outcomes, particularly for communities overburdened by poor health. My clients are not afraid to take on some of the biggest issues in public health and it is an honor to be an extra pair of hands to help them meet these challenges.

Visionary leaders expect a holistic approach to problem-solving. My training in law and public health, and the fact that I have worked in both legal and public health settings, allows me to see patterns and connections. A client may only need me for one type of work, but I bring this broader perspective to all my projects.

  • "I've worked with Manel over 15 years in a variety of capacities - in the same organization, as a contractor, and as collaborators on projects together. She has a deep understanding of public health policy which I experienced first-hand on the Healthy People 2020 Law and Policy Project. She's a proactive collaborator and a strategic thinker. "

    Lauren Dunning, Director, JD, MPH, The Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging.

  • "Manel was a practical and creative problem-solver with deep expertise about public health systems. She jumped into the chaotic world of COVID-response with a positive attitude and helped to create systems related to data privacy agreements with partners that allowed us to be responsive and compliant."

    Erin Yee, Director, California Tracing Health

  • "I've worked with Manel as colleague and as a consultant. She's smart, responsive and makes hard work fun. With more than 20 years of experience in public health law both as a practicing attorney and a public health professional, she brings a wealth of expertise to any project."

    Quang "Q" Dang, Interim Co-Executive Director, The Network for Public Health Law