Health Equity Defined

The idea of health equity is that everyone should have the best possible opportunity to live an optimally healthy life, regardless of his or her social/economic/environmental status. Health disparities represent limitations to health access and poor health outcomes that are closely linked with social/economic/environmental disadvantages and adversely affect collectively disadvantaged groups of people. Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain optimal health and no one is limited from reaching this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstances. General socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions encompass the social determinants of health which includes things like housing, healthcare services, water and sanitation, living and working conditions, education and agriculture / food production.

If you look in my life and see what I’ve seen…
Emergency Departments are the current safety net of modern day health care. Emergency departments are the portal of entry to the health system for everything that ails a community – from violence to traffic collisions to infectious epidemics and everything in between. Too often, I have had the deeply saddening responsibility of pronouncing the death of someone who could have lived longer and healthier if they had better access to opportunity for health. I have seen a multitude of deaths that come too soon from diseases and conditions that were completely preventable and this really saddens me – the instances where we are dying when we don’t have to. I have also seen deaths that come appropriately according to the agreement that was set between that human being and the creator but sometimes to the emotional, passionate objections of loved ones who want everything done in spite of the expense and futility of my efforts to “save them”.

Did you know?

More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese.
Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer – some of the leading causes of preventable death.
In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
Non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age-adjusted rates of obesity (49.5%) compared with Mexican Americans (40.4%), all Hispanics (39.1%) and non-Hispanic whites (34.3%)

I believe…

Living an optimally healthy life is a human right as well as responsibility.
While we may not control all of our circumstances, we do control a lot of our choices.
That Bible scripture that says “Whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.”
That Native American Indian wisdom that says “Never judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes.”

Favorite Quotes

When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless and intelligence cannot be applied. – Herophilus
To eliminate disparities, we must know enough, do enough, care enough and persevere. – Dr. David Satcher
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Until you know my joy, know my pain and know my struggles… Until you’ve walked these shoes, paid my dues and felt my troubles… Until you’ve shed my tears, known my fears in all my years… Only ’till then, you only know what you think you know… – Raheem Devaughn