Advancing Health Equity in Communities

Building wealth isn’t just about saving money or improving access to credit. A growing body of literature demonstrates that economic well-being is intrinsically tied to social, mental, physical and environmental health. Economic stability and the built environment has direct ramification on a person’s health. Inversely, health inequities then reinforce individual and family economic instability. Health challenges can lead to increased stress, less productivity, underemployment or unemployment, and an increased cost of living. This interrelated cycle is also exacerbated by race as communities of color suffer much more from health issues than wealthier White neighborhoods. The intersection of health and wealth must be addressed simultaneously in order to mitigate disparities and advance overall well-being. 

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Join NCRC in a three-part online event series to increase the understanding of the SDOH. We will also detail how SDOH overlaps with community and economic development investments and the potential of partnering with hospitals and health systems to further community goals around Advancing Health Equity in Communities. 

Advancing Health Equity: Unpacking Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Part I

Date: September 29, 2022

Time: 1pm ET

Many disparities and inequalities stem from systems and structures that make it difficult for low- and moderate-income (LMI) individuals to thrive in society and live healthy lives. Health inequities are systematic differences in health outcomes. These inequities have significant social and economic impacts that can affect an individual’s overall well-being.

Did you know that up to? 80% of health outcomes are influenced by non-clinical factors, such as access to quality and affordable housing, reliable transportation, nutritious food, and financial stability? This means that our health is increasingly determined more by the ZIP code we live in than our genetic code. Social drivers, also known as social determinants of health, such as where people live, learn, work and play, will largely affect an individual’s health and quality of life outcomes. 

Join NCRC in this informative online event where we will provide critical information on the definition and application of the SDOHs and how they can intersect with community development and how community development practitioners can begin to move in the direction of creating and sustaining equitable and healthy communities.   

Advancing Health Equity: Brokering Partnerships for Health Equity Part II

Date & Time: TBD

Community partnerships draw on unique competencies and expertise of different sectors, organizations and individuals with the intention of building long-term impact from sustainable strategies and solutions. Effective partnerships are essential for community-based solutions for advancing health equity by sharing the same vision and increasing the community’s capacity to shape outcomes, and fostering multi-sector collaboration in a meaningful and strategic way.

Join NCRC in Part II of this webinar series to learn how SDOH overlaps with community and economic development investments and what hospitals and health systems look for in community-based organizations and how to best position yourself to partner with health stakeholders to further the health outcomes in your community. 

Advancing Health Equity: Tracking Social Determinants of Health Data Part III

Date & Time: TBD

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing racial and economic injustices embedded in our systems that can potentially impact underserved communities for generations to come. This has led to a renewed commitment to improve health equity and address the SDOH that account for 80% of health outcomes and have a disproportionate impact on communities of color such as, having a lack of access to affordable housing; healthy food; reliable income; and a safe environment to live, work and thrive in.

Join NCRC in Part III of this series to better understand how being informed of the health and economic disparities will equip community-based organizations with the information needed to better target their programming and facilitate partnerships to work towards advancing health equity in communities to have long-term sustainable impact.