Latinos often face many obstacles that prevent them from obtaining health equity. One of the bigger hurdles they frequently have to overcome is a lack of access to quality healthcare. Lack of transportation equity prevents many Latinos from regularly accessing preventative care. According to the Community Transportation Association of America, about 3.6 million patients miss medical appointments each year because of transportation issues. A new, unique initiative between Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and an unlikely partner is looking to alleviate some of these concerns. The rides-sharing service Lyft is partnering with the health coverage provider to help cut down on missed healthcare appointments. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address ...
Latinos are the largest ethnic and racial minority group in the country and their numbers are rapidly growing. They are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035 and 1 in 3 by 2060. Despite their prevalence in the country, Latinos suffer vast differences in health conditions compared to whites. These health disparities are often rooted in social disadvantage. Health inequities are found in several often unavoidable areas, including housing segregation, access to care, income, and educational attainment. Latino children currently make up roughly 25% of all children in the United States. Given this substantial number, how they fare academically will have a massive impact on the social and economic well-being of the country as a whole for generations to ...
One of the key social determinants of health is a simple one that often goes overlooked. Where you live has a lot to do with how healthy you are going to be. Many Latinos are often forced to live in low-income, high-poverty, high-crime areas. These areas often have limited access to active spaces, healthy food choices, and health care. These inequities play great impact on the future success of many Latino youths. A recent study of public housing areas in Denver, Colo. (31% Latino population), that showcases the vast benefits of neighborhood economic diversity on Latino youths. The researchers chose Denver because of the wide-range of neighborhood options available to affordable housing users. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in ...
On Thursday, March 9, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan to address “persistent problems of poverty, violence, and poor health” in the borough of Brooklyn (28.92% Latino population). The eight-pronged plan hopes to incorporate holistic approaches to address these concerning issues. The initiative, entitled Vital Brooklyn, looked to poor resources several economically struggling neighborhoods in Brooklyn. While much of Brooklyn has prospered in recent years, crime and unemployment are still rampant in certain areas. “For too long investment in underserved communities has lacked the strategy necessary to end systemic social and economic disparity,” Cuomo said in an interview with The New York Times. “But in Central Brooklyn those failed approaches stop today. We ...
Los Angeles, California (48.67% Latino population) is the second largest city in the United States. The city is also one of the largest urban hubs of Latinos in the country. However, the inequity gaps in health, wealth, income, and opportunities for Latinos is rising in the City of Angels. In a report developed by PolicyLink, the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Weingart Foundation, a number of “grim” statistics and facts were uncovered. “Across the region, people are struggling daily for the things so many of us take for granted – safe streets, good jobs, access to health care, affordable housing and a quality education for our families,” said Fred Ali, president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation in an interview with Hollywood Patch. “Over the ...
Latinos are already the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States. As a group, they are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035, and 1 in 3 by 2060. All across the country, Latinos are impacting the demographics of nearly every community. In Palm Beach County, Florida (20.37% Latino population), Latinos are making an impact in another avenue. For the first time ever, public schools in the area have more Latino students than any other demographic group. As reported by The Sun-Sentinel, Latinos make up 33% of the district’s 190,240 students. This number is compared to the 32% white and 28% black students. The district’s numbers are strikingly different than the overall racial makeup of the rest of the county which is 60% white. “The ...
According to a local newspaper, Santa Fe New Mexican, Mayor Javier Gonzales, who proposed a soda tax policy to support pre-kinder education will speak up about this proposal and more at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center this Wednesday at the annual State of the City address. Gonzales will speak about the proposal he made to increase an estimated $7 million for funding for pre-k across the city, especially for city's some 966 3 and 4-year-olds who do not have a pre-k education. “It has to be that way if we truly want to see a break in this cycle of poverty, a breakdown of the barriers that are stopping our kids in their tracks from achieving their full potential,” Mayor Gonzales told Santa Fe New Mexican News. “It’s just reality of why you need a new revenue ...
Despite being the country’s largest racial/ethnic group, Latinos suffer from “vast differences” in health conditions compared to whites. These health disparities prevent many Latinos from attaining quality health and well-being, educational achievement, and financial success. A new report from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity addresses the roles that communities can play in helping people achieve health equity. By linking health equity with opportunity, the research for the report has shown that problems ranging from poverty, unemployment, low educational attainment, inadequate housing, and a lack of public transportation among many other factors. In order to reduce health disparities, ...
Malls are often partially blamed for the decay of walkable downtowns and linked with greater vehicle dependence, thus depriving cities of sustainable economic growth and safe places for kids and families to walk. A failed mall in Meriden, Connecticut (28.7% Latino) was transformed into the type of public space that boosts mental, physical, and emotional health, as well as the economy. A mall was built in a small town between Hartford and New Haven in 1970. Due to inadequate flood control-underground pipes blocked three brooks-during construction of the mall, flooding was an issue. In 1992 and 1996, flooding caused $26 million in damages to the downtown area. The City began the Harbor Brook Flood Control project which continues today. The vacancy rate of retailers the mall ...
