Health Equity in Action

Every small step makes a difference, and learning about what other groups are doing can inspire and motivate people to take action. Below are a few examples of promising initiatives happening on the community, state and metropolitan level.

Check back often as these will be updated regularly.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child – A Comprehensive Approach

Harlem Children’s Zone Project
New York, NY
www.hcz.org

The Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) is a pioneering community-based organization that works to enhance the quality of life for more than 8,600 children and families within a 100-block area of Central Harlem in New York City.

The HCZ Project uses a multi-pronged approach to provide integrated services and support in areas that directly impact health: parenting/child development, nutrition and fitness, education, housing, economic opportunity, and employment.

The HCZ Project includes two early childhood intervention programs: The Baby College, which addresses the needs of children between the ages of 0 to 3 and their parents; and Harlem Gems, a universal pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. HCZ also runs its Asthma Initiative, in partnership with local hospitals and public health agencies, which screens all neighborhood children for asthma and helps combat triggers. Workers conduct home visits to survey families and to help provide a full range of environmental, social, educational and medical interventions when indicated.

For older kids, HCZ operates the Promise Academy, a charter school for middle- and high-school students that includes a free health clinic, a cafeteria with nutritious food, and programs and services to screen and combat obesity, asthma and diabetes, among other ailments. HCZ also helps place over 90 AmeriCorps-funded Peacemakers at local public elementary schools, where they help run classroom, after-school, and summer enrichment programs.

The HCZ Project also offers a range of other youth-oriented programs, including: TRUCE, a comprehensive development program for high-school students, focused on academic growth and career readiness; Investment Camp, a financial literacy program; the Employment and Technology Center, which provides training, support and job placement; and a community garden and food distribution network managed and run by youth.

HCZ also works to help families by advocating for policy changes at the local and state level. HCZ officers are active on several economic and childhood advisory boards, and the HCZ Practitioners Institute helps educate participants about best practices, successful programs, and the need for a comprehensive approach to building a healthy neighborhood and strong community.

Investing in Better Health

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation
St. Paul, Minnesota
www.bcbsmnfoundation.org

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation (BCBSMNF) is the philanthropic arm of the largest non-profit health plan in Minnesota. The foundation takes a broad view of health, one that focuses on factors beyond health care, genes and lifestyle. Its funding targets “upstream” initiatives – such as those that promote social connectedness, environmental quality, early childhood development, and safe, affordable housing - to improve the health of all Minnesotans.

For example, Healthy Together: Creating Community with New Americans is a statewide effort to reduce health inequities among immigrants by fostering exchanges and interactions between newcomers and established community members; strengthening the organizational capacity of groups serving refugee and immigrant populations; and providing social support and mental health services to new arrivals. The Latino Support Committee in Blackduck, Minnesota, and the Hmong American Partnership project are examples of groups funded under this initiative.

A related foundation focus is Growing Up Healthy: Kids and Communities, which helps communities work across sectors in new ways to create an environment that nurtures the health growth of children under the age of five. This program area funds projects in which health and two or more of the following intersect: early childhood development; safe, affordable housing; and the physical environment. For example, the foundation gave $20,000 to the Minnesota Environmental Initiative to retrofit Head Start buses to reduce diesel emissions in Washington and Anoka Counties; it also funded the North American Water Office to document how pollution threatens the health of indigenous people who depend on fish as their primary food, and to improve early developmental, educational and health outcomes for native children on the White Earth reservation through the Indigenous Women’s Mercury investigation.

In addition to funding programs, the foundation advocates for public policies that ensure universal access to quality health care and increase “upstream” conditions for health. Through the National Conference of State Legislatures, for example, the foundation has brought together legislators and agency representatives with refugee and immigrant leaders to identify challenges and develop policy solutions for more effective immigrant integration and healthy communities, and the Leadership Institute continues to develop and recognize community leaders who effectively address the connections between health and social, environmental and economic issues.

A Broad-based Strategic Plan for “America’s Healthiest Community”

Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission
Denver, CO
http://www.mdhwc.org

The mission of the Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission (MDHWC) is two-fold: to maintain Colorado’s reputation as the nation’s healthiest population by combating its trend towards obesity and inactivity and to develop interest in health and wellness as a way to boost regional economic growth, increase productivity and lower health care costs. Comprised of key stakeholders from metro area cities, including health care providers, community leaders, policy makers and representatives from business, education, and philanthropy, the commission is a broad coalition of groups uniquely positioned to make a difference in the health of the region.

The MDHWC’s recently released strategic plan outlines three major priority areas: Healthy Schools/Early Childhood Development, Healthy Worksites, and Healthy Communities. In addition, the commission’s first annual Health of the Region Report lists the metrics for measuring the effectiveness of MDHWC initiatives in upcoming years.

Among the recommendations included in its strategic plan, the MDHWC suggests that local schools offer opportunities for physical education, nutrition classes and healthy food to improve test scores and concentration, reduce incidences of disruptive behavior and absenteeism, and lower depression. The plan also suggests that worksite wellness programs and incentives for healthier behavior can benefit both employees and employers through lower rates of absenteeism, improved safety and morale, and lower health care costs.  Finally, the commission advocates the development of a regional transportation system that supports physical activity, decreases pollution and traffic congestion, and improves access to parks, trails, and healthy foods.

The key to the commission’s success so far has been its ability to attract and engage diverse representatives across many sectors. The involvement of government, non-profit and business leaders – including local mayors, foundation and industry executives, school district employees, consumer health advocates, and groups that serve and represent low-income communities and communities of color – has ensured buy-in, resources, and support for the commission’s recommendations. Moreover, the commission’s message that improving health conditions is a win-win situation resonates among all groups.

Integrating Health Equity into County Programs and Services

King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative
Seattle, WA
www.kingcounty.gov/equity

The King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative takes aim at long-standing and persistent local inequities and injustices.

"It is unacceptable that your skin color or your home address are good predictors of whether you will have a low birth weight baby, die from diabetes or your children will graduate from high school or end up in jail," says King County Executive Ron Sims. “Government and local communities are better prepared than ever before to address these challenges.”

The Initiative, launched in early 2008, works on three levels:
1. Delivery of King County services: All King County departments have committed to specific actions to promote equity in 2008.  For example, the Department of Development and Environmental Services will review and revise comprehensive plan policies to encourage vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods that are diverse and integrated. The Transportation Department will prioritize creating transit-oriented developments with close proximity to affordable housing, recreation and employment centers.
2. Policy development and decision-making: King County will ensure that promoting equity is intentionally considered in the development and implementation of key policies and programs and in making funding decisions. The county is developing and testing an equity impact assessment and review tool, and it will incorporate use of this tool in decision-making processes.
3. Community partnerships: Key opportunities to promote equity and social justice go beyond the boundaries of the government, and King County is committed to listening to community voices.  The county is collaborating with partners from many sectors in the areas of community engagement and education.  King County has an opportunity to address the historical lack of access to decision-making by involving community members in developing solutions to inequities.

Community Organizing and Environmental Justice – Fighting for Health Equity

Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Oakland, CA
www.apen4ej.org

The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) envisions a world where "all people have a right to a clean and healthy environment in which their communities can live, work, learn, play, and thrive."

Communities of color bear a disproportionate amount of the nation’s environmental problems from polluting facilities and diesel truck emissions to toxic work places. At APEN, we organize for environmental justice and healthy environments by empowering low-income Asian Pacific Islander communities to build political strength and make decisions that affect their lives.

Developing the leadership of our grassroots members and organizing the community into a powerful voice is the heart of our work. APEN has two organizing projects: Power in Asians Organizing in Oakland, California, and Laotian Organizing Project in Richmond, California, which was featured in the “Place Matters” episode of Unnatural Causes.

APEN member and leader Khamphay Phahongchanh lives in Richmond and has been a member of the Laotian Organizing Project (LOP) for nine years. He is part of a large Laotian community in Richmond who were resettled here in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. He became involved after a major industrial accident at the Richmond Chevron oil refinery hospitalized thousands of people in 1999. "I went to the LOP office for a community meeting where there were many diverse Laotians in the meeting: young, old, and all from different Laotian tribes. After the meeting, I thought about what could be done about this problem and I became more interested in LOP."

Khamphay and LOP successfully organized to win the nation’s first multilingual emergency warning system. He believes LOP’s work is important because it brings people together to fight for their rights.

To learn more about Khamphay, LOP, and APEN, visit www.apen4ej.org.