HEALTH EQUITY

AASCSC’s commitment to health equity means working collaboratively to ensure everyone in our ccommunity has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. According to the CDC, health equity is when each person has the chance to reach their full health potential without facing oobstacles from social position or other socially circumstances. This includes equitable (fair) healthcare professionals, healthy foods, a safe living environment, and the abilty to be well across all aspects of life, from work to home life to medical care. The components of health equity include:

• Social Determinants: These are factors that can influence a person’s health but that typically fall outside the scope of a healthcare professional. This can include education, socioeconomic status and even the zip code where a person lives and works. A person’s health can be deeply affected by the neighborhood in which they live, the air they breathe,  the ability to safely play and exercise outdoors and even access to healthy foods.
• Health Literacy. This is a person’s ability to understand important health and medical information and it speaks to their ability to use this information to get care. A person with higher health literacy can more easily understand what healthcare options they have for medical treatment as well as what the consquences of the choices they make; they can also communication about their health and healthcare decisions.
• Health Disparities. These are the differences in health outcomes that vary by population. Disparities are influenced by factors including race/ethnicity, gender, geographic region, age, sexual identity and orientation and immigrant status.