Prior to my career in healthcare, I was a community organizer with a racial reconciliation organization that served the people of the Mississippi Delta. I saw firsthand the powerful connection between people, places, history, and health. Where people live, work, and raise their families matters to their health – often more so than their ability to access health care.
As great and well-intentioned health systems’ efforts have been to systemically address social needs – we are continuing to build on a system that created disparities in health in the first place. We are desperately in need of a new, shared agenda that aligns the goals of both healthcare and communities so that we can win together.
At Health Leads, we’re dedicated to uplifting and centering the role of community in community health. That means recognizing that experience and expertise communities bring to the health conversation. Through partnerships across the country, we are creating opportunities for community members to have a seat at the table with health systems, providers, and payers alike to develop more efficient strategies to connect people to the essentials they need to be healthy.
