Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health

Future of Public Health Work GroupFebruary 19, 2014

Essential functions of Public Health

Oregon: Increasingly Ethnically Diverse

Definitions• Social determinants of Health are life-enhancing resources, such

as food supply, housing, economic and social relationships, transportation, education, and health care, whose distribution across populations effectively determines length and quality of life.”Source: Promoting Health Equity : A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health

• Social determinants of Equity are the structures, policies, practices, norms, and values that create societal structures and systems of power that fairly distribute life-enhancing resources. The social determinants of equity include racial and social justice and shared power.Source: Dr. Carmara Jones, CDC; "Social Determinants of Equity and Social Determinants of Health"

Social Determinants of Health Disparities

Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, MPH, PhD

Source: May 22, 2009, Dr. Carmara Jones, CDC "Social Determinants of Equity and Social Determinants of Health"

Source: May 22, 2009, Dr. Carmara Jones, CDC "Social Determinants of Equity and Social Determinants of Health"

Social Determinants of Health Equity in Oregon

• Health• Wealth• Education • Incarceration

The Four Great Contributors to Racial Inequities

Latino Health in Oregon

Oregon’s “Non-Traditional” Health Care

WorkersCommunity

Health Workers

Peer Wellness Specialists

DoulasPersonal Health

Navigators

The future of public health should mean advancing health equity by advocating for:

• Community engagement– In policy development– In program development– In hiring processes– In contract and grant review processes

• Social determinants of equity: – Public Safety/Prison system reform– Education reforms (i.e. strengthening Health Care Workforce pipelines)

• Workforce Diversity– Loan repayment/ loan forgiveness– Certified and Qualified Health Care Interpreters– Diversity – leadership, THWs, allied health

• Continuous Quality Improvement – Use disaggregated need, access, service delivery and outcomes data

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have

those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Aristotle

Questions?

Tricia TillmanDirector

Office of Equity and InclusionOregon Health Authority

Phone: 971-673-1285Tricia.tillman@state.or.us

http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/oei/