Health Equity

The health of individuals, families and communities is determined by several inter-related, intergenerational, cumulative, and most importantly, preventable factors. Quality of life issues such as racism, income and wealth inequality, sex discrimination, poverty, and low socioeconomic status are major risk factors for illness. Socioeconomic conditions such as inadequate housing, environmental pollution, lack of transportation, poor educational and employment opportunities, unsafe working conditions and unequal access to health care also contribute to health inequities and increased rates of death and disease, particularly among people of color. These factors are collectively known as the “social determinants of health equity.”

While the focus of the Regional Primary Care Coalition is on eliminating inequities in health care access and on strengthening coordinated systems community-based primary care across the region, we recognize that creating health equity requires addressing the social determinants of health. This section of our web site is devoted to sharing information about work being done to address community conditions that impact health and resources that document the relationship between health and other socio-economic conditions.