Brian Gran, professor of sociology and law, was featured in The Hill in two recent op-ed pieces, one addressing the radicalization of refugees in Syrian displacement camps and the other examining the role hospitals play in improving community health.
The first, titled “How the world can stop the radicalization of innocents in Syria” and published in November, discussed how many children and their families have been relocated to the Al-Hol and al-Roj camps after the fall of the Islamic State. Gran argued for children’s rights commissioners to fight for the rights of the children in refugee camps, many of whom have become radicalized from their family members and other refugees after spending years in the camps. Read the piece about Syrian refugees.
The second, titled “Hospitals can truly benefit communities by going beyond the IRS standard” and published earlier in December, explored the role hospitals have in community health and what the IRS’ “community benefit” standard really means. Gran, alongside co-authors Cary E. Cronin and Berkeley Franz, discussed how hospitals’ tax-exempt status is contingent upon the IRS’ community benefit policy, which requires hospitals to promote health and benefit the people they serve.
Gran and colleagues questioned whether hospitals truly offer community benefit when they do not mitigate factors that play a role in health inequities, and how hospitals and their communities may benefit from greater investments regarding a population’s health. Read Gran’s piece about hospitals.