Alumni Spotlight: Peter Tatum, MPH ’24
Creativity, Community, and Public Health: How Art Guided Peter Tatum to Dartmouth’s MPH
For Peter Tatum, the path to public health began with art. Before launching his career in healthcare and community advocacy, he spent decades as a professional fine artist, musician, and muralist. “Art has always been about connection for me,” he explains. “The people I met through the art world, especially the street artists in Philadelphia, eventually became my partners in something larger than any of us imagined.”
In 2025, Tatum and fellow artists founded Recovery Done Simple (RDS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving vulnerable populations throughout the metro-Philadelphia area. RDS’s mission is to empower individuals facing addiction, food insecurity, and housing instability by providing essential aid, building meaningful relationships, and inspiring systemic change. “Our motto is ‘from the streets, for the streets,’ because each of us has experienced the challenges, to some degree, that we’re trying to help others overcome,” he says.
RDS takes a personal approach to outreach. “What makes us different from many other organizations,” Tatum explains, “is that we are personally walking the streets, meeting people where they are, offering aid and humanity in places many others won’t go.”
Tatum credits his Dartmouth MPH education with giving him the tools to understand the policy landscape shaping his community work. “Dartmouth prepared me to navigate local legislation and policy,” he says. “That’s been critical working in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The program made me a more effective communicator with colleagues, clients, and donors, and helped ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in the goals and marketing plans of everything we do.”
One of the most transformative influences during his time at Dartmouth was Lisa McBride, PhD, Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “Dr. McBride personally helped me through a difficult time,” Tatum shares, “and is probably one of the greatest supporters I’ve had in my life.” He continues, “Her career path, from FBI agent to equity advocate, deeply inspired me. It’s one thing to study inequity in the classroom, and another to witness the courage and conviction it takes to create real change.” He also credits faculty members Manish K. Mishra, MD, MPH, and Craig R. Westling, MS, MPH, DrPH, noting that “the combination of coursework and mentorship changed my life.”
A module on variable-cost versus fixed-cost business models particularly resonated with Tatum. “It sparked my interest in developing innovative, sustainable business models for healthcare and addiction recovery,” he says. “That’s one of my long-term goals.” He also highlights the value of the program’s applied learning, including the practicum experience , which strengthened his ability to translate community needs into actionable solutions.
For incoming MPH students, Tatum offers this advice: “Pay attention to everything, not just what you’re currently interested in, and get to know your cohort and mentors. You never know what experience will set your career trajectory. When I started at Dartmouth, I thought I’d be working on neuroscience-based healthcare inequity in tertiary medical centers. Four years later, my focus is on addiction recovery, food, and housing insecurity in the most vulnerable parts of the inner city. The further I go, the more I realize how well Dartmouth prepared me.”
Tatum notes that the MPH curriculum gave him a toolkit he continues to use daily—combining policy, communication, community engagement, and data-driven approaches to strengthen RDS and expand its reach.
Today, Recovery Done Simple continues to grow, hosting art shows, sticker auctions, coat drives, spray-paint art classes, and gallery events that blend creativity with community impact. “There’s nothing more fulfilling than being part of something you believe in from the very beginning,” Tatum reflects. He extends heartfelt thanks to fellow board members Christopher Brutsche, David Carr, Taylor Seibert, Brittnay Sninchak, Dan Zeitlow, and John Smutnik, whose dedication fuels the organization’s mission.
To learn more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.RecoveryDoneSimple.com.
Recovery Done Simple – From the Streets, For the Streets.
Written by: Mia Soucy
POSTED 11/25/2025 AT 10:01 AM IN #mph online #mph
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