Addressing health equity from the ground up
Supporting strong, resilient economies through Communities of Health
Addressing health equity at the community level is vital to our mission of making the health system work better for everyone. But to help improve community health outcomes, we have to think differently about what a “community” is. It’s not just the people who live in a certain ZIP code. Or a handful of businesses. It’s the whole environment — the people, businesses, organizations, institutions and health care systems that serve the community.
All these elements help form a community’s infrastructure. And when they don’t have the resources they need, everyone feels the impact. Communities of Health helps tackle these challenges. We work with community leaders to identify community infrastructure needs. Then we collaborate on solutions that increase access to health and social services. This may include building new physical spaces, improving systems, providing necessary resources and empowering workforces.
Healthier people create a healthier economy
The economic well-being of a community directly depends on the health of its people. A healthier community alleviates pressure on overextended health systems. In turn, this can lower the cost of health care for everyone.
How we support our communities
Taking on big challenges is a shared effort. We work with people throughout a community to build and support solutions that enable equitable health and well-being. Our approach involves the following key areas:
Communities of Health in action
Learn how our partnerships with communities across the country are making a difference and improving health access.