LEVERAGING HEALTH OPPORTUNITY AND EQUITY:

Using Health Data to Improve the Quality of Life in Communities of Color Across the Country by Fostering a More Equitable Pandemic Recovery

OVERVIEW

As the devastating twin effects of COVID-19 and global social injustice disrupted populations, the MacArthur Foundation sought to stabilize and sustain the critical work being completed by the non-profit sector. Their $125 million Equitable Recovery initiative was created in 2020 to bolster philanthropic practices and allow practitioners to design and implement innovative approaches to meet the broad challenges faced by families and individuals nationwide, especially in Black & Brown communities that historically have been under-resourced.

The National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE) received a grant to assist local jurisdictions in leveraging the extraordinary health data collected under the Health Opportunity and Equity (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE state-of-the-art platform supports a new narrative on health inequities and provides achievable pathways for states to eliminate health disparities. The comprehensive data on populations of color is a critical resource for policymakers, as well as the medical and public health fields.

The groundbreaking HOPE research dramatically changed the disparity narrative: instead of merely identifying health disparities, HOPE pinpoints where resources must be directed to make meaningful and lasting changes. NCHE compiled comprehensive population health research, including disaggregated data on people of color across the country. Through state data, HOPE tracked 27 life and community indicators that shape health and well-being for families and individuals including social and economic factors, community and safety conditions, physical environment and access to healthcare.

HOPE sets aspirational, yet achievable, goals (HOPE Goals) based on the best outcomes achieved in states that are leading to show what is possible. It measures the progress (Distance to Goal) that each state must make to improve conditions and close equity gaps by race and ethnicity. Aspiring and working toward achieving the HOPE Goals for all people in every state can pave the way for measurably moving the needle on achieving health equity.

HOPE data portrays an America after the Reckoning on Race succeeds, jettisoning racism from our society. With racial bias eliminated, HOPE helps us envision a nation where everyone experiences equal social, economic and health opportunities. In an unbiased universe, for instance, 70 million more people would live in low poverty neighborhoods; 55 million more adults would live in households with a livable income; and 54 million more adults would achieve very good or excellent health. It provides a baseline of how racial and ethnic population groups fare on a broad set of conditions central to health.

“HOPE research delivers a narrative that compels corrective action at multiple societal levels” says Dr. Gail Christopher, the NCHE executive director. “It creates a new opportunity frame that brings actionable data and information to help states and the nation move beyond measuring disparities to compelling action to achieve health equity. Disparities during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrate the urgent need for health equity.”

NCHE’s Leveraging HOPE initiative is the next step. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation Equitable Recovery, NCHE is working with cities and counties on deploying the data to improve local health outcomes. Getting HOPE research into the hands of local change makers requires a collaborative strategy that unites regional, state, and local capabilities, as well as private sector and non-profit energy and resources.

On this website, you will learn more about how civic and community leaders are working to use data collected on their states to enhance the quality of life for their residents.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

2022 COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

image

Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County

The Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County (CHE Cook County) works to change the maldistribution of money, power and resources that produces health inequities and  gross injustice. We believe we can make that change by raising awareness, advancing policy, and building power among oppressed populations. To achieve health equity, we focus on the root causes of health inequities that are at the structural level of society.   CHE Cook ...

image

Latinx Racial Equity Project

Our work (HOPE's and LREP's) intersect in our commitment to promote health and increase racial equity disproportionately affected by COVID 19 communities.    As the HOPE data clearly shows, structural racism embedded in our society's systems creates severe health inequities impacting tens of millions of BIPOC in this country. Latinx Racial Equity Project is tackling this core public health issue by training and de...

image

The Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth & Reconciliation

The mission of the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth & Reconciliation (CNTR) is to partner with institutions to promote love, the establishment of justice, and build the Beloved Community. The Center is committed to transforming and healing the root causes of physical, political, psychological, environmental, economic and racial violence at personal, family, community and systemic levels.   The Selma Center f...

image

Louisiana Center for Health Equity

The Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) was created and established with the sole purpose of addressing health and healthcare disparities in Louisiana through the lens of health equity. One current example of our health equity work is our Campaign to Establish Louisiana Office on Women’s Health. Louisiana is 49th in women’s health outcomes. Those that are most impacted are black women in the state. The Office will work to improve the health outcomes of w...

image

Equity Matters

Equity Matters is a network of innovators. Our work helps clients and communities evolve and change in a transformative way. We are a network of equity practitioners and we believe in communities of practice that support the culture of equitable development. We look at things through a social determinants lens addressing not just health, but well-being. We promote equity in all policy. Equity Matters offers a variety of supports and organizational strategies for g...

image

One Love Global

One Love Global (OLG) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to transform communities so Black children experience justice, peace, healing, opportunity, and abundance. OLG invests in youth organizing and community leadership development to build the individual and collective power needed to transform policies and practices. OLG is the place lead for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) of Metro Lansing and has hosted teams for all five pillars with our deepest work being c...

image

Neshoba Youth Coalition

I believe that your framework around health outcomes, and how those systems influence the health of local communities, align perfectly with NYC’s commitment to improve educational, health and economical opportunities for children and families in Mississippi by advancing racial equity and healing, leadership development and authentic community engagement that leads to positive and sustainable social change that improves the lives of vulnerable children and famili...

image

Partnership for the Public Good

Partnership for the Public Good is a community-based think tank that builds a more just, sustainable, and culturally vibrant Buffalo Niagara through action-oriented research, policy development, and citizen engagement, together with our network of 325 partner organizations. Before and since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have worked to advance health equity programs and policies that protect tenants and improve housing conditions; that use public land, green spac...

image

Center for Achieving Equity

The Center for Achieving Equity will engage all levels of community to ensure systems, structures, policies and practices create and sustain equitable opportunities for all.   The Center for Achieving Equity's (CAE) focus is to ensure health implications and equity considerations are in the forefront as policy makers and others make decisions that substantially impact the residents of Cuyahoga County and the neighb...

image

Health Equity Solutions (HES)

Our Vision: For every Connecticut resident to attain optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.  Our Mission: To promote policies, programs, and practices that result in equitable health care access, delivery, and outcomes for all people in Connecticut  The events of the past two years raised the visibility of racial i...

2022 COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

Engaging the Community in New Approaches to Healthy Housing

Engaging the Community in New Approaches to Healthy Housing

Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth

Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth

Virginia Commonwealth University Report

Virginia Commonwealth University Report