This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on bridging health equity across communities. Heather A. Anderson, MPH, community outreach coordinator, CTSI Community PARTners Core, and program educator, Community Benefits Initiative, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, sat down to have an enlightening conversation about the featured topic.
HA: Good afternoon, Ms. Bush. It’s nice to talk again. Because April is National Minority Health Month, we’ve decided to discuss health equity and bridging gaps across communities.
EB: I’m happy to see you again, Heather, especially because we get to chat about such a meaningful topic. As these pages have shown over the last five years, the status of minority health is heavily shaped by health inequity in our communities. It is key for us to talk about the gaps that cause these inequities. Also important is how we can “bridge” these gaps so that minority communities can have a health status equal to that of nonminority communities. We talk about this topic a lot among health and social service professionals. But it’s not something that we talk about at the community level. The health conversations that we have at a community level are focused on practicing healthy behaviors and staying informed. But I want to take it a step further than that. Where does health equity fit in?
HA: Great question. I think the foundation is understanding exactly what health equity means and how it affects a person’s life. Health equity is the study of differences in both the health and health care of groups with different races, ethnicities, income levels and sexual identities. They’re caused by social factors that can be prevented. You’ll often hear the term “social determinants of health” to describe the social factors that determine health outcomes.
EB: “Social determinants of health” means that a person’s health can be determined by factors like where they live, work and play. The availability of health care and a person’s education level are other factors. What I want community members to understand is that they can do something about health inequity. We should all be informed about the ways that health policy affects our health. These policies can cause the inequity that we see in certain communities. Before you vote for politicians, find out their viewpoints on health care. If you hear about a bill or law that will affect you or your community’s access to health care, call your local, state or even national politicians.
HA: Yes. While health care policy changes are happening at a national level with the new president, there’s also a lot happening around us here in Pittsburgh. Our local health department, various churches, professional associations and political organizations, are working on this topic. They’re identifying gaps and providing solutions, while local researchers are gathering data to support these efforts. One such person is Mijung Park, PhD, MSN, MPH, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her areas of focus include creating new health services models and working with diverse family caregivers.
EB: Thank you for sharing these details and for this conversation, Heather. While it’s unfortunate that there are such disparities among groups, it’s good to know that there are efforts being made at city, state and national levels to address them. And, as members of Pittsburgh’s community, it’s vital for those of us who can speak up about these issues continue to do so.
For more information or with questions, e-mail partners@hs.pitt.edu.
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