Delivering health means addressing both race and place

For years we’ve heard a lot about health care disparities – differences in care outcomes between racial and ethnic groups for diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart health and more. In fact, we have plenty of data to prove that gaps exist between different populations, and for years we’ve been on a quest for health equality.

This is not wrong, as health equality raises the bar for everyone. Providing the same care to everyone, however, hasn’t delivered the same health outcomes. Gaps still exist. That’s why we must focus on health equity to determine how we can tailor care to unique needs and opportunities within a racial or ethnic population. Only by achieving health equity can we deliver better health for all.

Let me explain. Imagine you’re standing behind a tall fence outside a ballpark. You’re with some friends of varied height and you all want to watch the game. You see some milk crates nearby, all the same size, and the group decides to stand on the crates. But the shortest person still can’t see over the fence to watch the game. So all three friends received equal lift, but the outcome was that only two people got to see the game.

This example explains the importance of focusing on equity as part of equality.

Let me give you a real world example. Our data shows tremendous progress in diabetes management across all populations at Kaiser Permanente. Yet there remains a gap based on race. Even more, place – or where people live – also plays a critical role in achieving healthy eating and active living.

We are all impacted in different ways by the communities in which we live. Many of us are blessed to have jobs where we earn incomes that allow us to live in safe and healthy neighborhoods. We have parks with biking trails, access to fresh produce in our grocery stores, and outdoor activities for our kids to enjoy.

At the same time, many people in America have limited access to grocery stores, or they live in communities with inadequate public safety and low employment. From many of these neighborhoods came our finest civil rights leaders, who created movements that made lives better despite infrastructure challenges and a lack of resources. Yet imagine how people could thrive if health equity was built into the social fabric of the community itself.

We have proven that the same care offered to everyone delivers varied care outcomes based on race. We’ve also been able to demonstrate — through data — that community and environmental issues increase stress levels and have a direct impact on health. That’s why race and place are so important in achieving health equity.

New research continues to shine a light on how we can better address every citizen’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through improving health. If we are serious about realizing such an ambitious goal as a nation, we must let this new data guide us towards real, effective solutions. And that means we must achieve health equity, leading to the best health outcomes and the opportunity for everyone to live a long, healthy and productive life.