Resources in Today's Episode:
Key Takeaways
Do We All Have an Equal Chance for Health?
- Wealth, class, and zip code can define your health.
- For Norton Healthcare and its community, West Louisville is where the most disadvantaged population lives.
- Norton Healthcare had a mobile prevention unit that drove around the west area providing free services and one medical practice nearby.
- Having partners is very important in addressing racial injustice issues in healthcare. It will continue to take excellent partners to combat these issues.
- Some areas have been neglected for far too long and need our attention – this is not just happening in Lousiville, but all over the United States.
Impact of Systemic Racism on Health
- Where there is a wealth gap, there is a health gap.
- Minorities continue to have higher rates of mortality and morbidity than white people.
- Black adults have a higher chance of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
- Poverty affects housing, employment, education, food access, transportation, health services, and other social challenges.
- Norton Health utilizes community-based research and insights to identify needs and the appropriate action to serve their community best.
- Most health systems are not where they need to be with this issue – we need to be more open about where we’re at how we always strive to grow and move forward as an organization.
Five Health Imperatives
1. Norton Healthcare Institute for Health Equity.
- Founded on the belief that social class/zip code should not be the most likely determinant of health.
- Committed to removing barriers that prevent people from having the best health possible.
- New mobile units, points of care – improve access to care and establish care sites to manage chronic disease.
- Provide access to mental health resources.
- Committed to leading critical conversations focused on educating internally and the community.
- Dedicated to partnering with pipeline institutions to help identify/develop/increase the number of minorities in healthcare.
2. Ensure access to primary care for everyone.
- Look at underserved areas and communities as well as underrepresented clinical providers.
3. Mirror the community within Norton Healthcare Leadership.
- Redefine “leadership.”
- Evolve “officers and directors” quarterly meetings to a new “system leadership group.”
4. Help employees engage in matters of importance to the community.
- Census, voting, community initiative support, etc.
5. Invest money to address needs in underserved areas.
- Foundation commitment to raise matching funds.
- Put these dollars towards initiatives that are helping underserved areas.
