Community Engaged Leadership to Advance Health Equity and Build Healthier Communities

Abstract

Health is a human right. Equity in health implies that ideally everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential and, more pragmatically, that no one should be disadvantaged from achieving this potential. Addressing the multi-faceted health needs of ethnically and culturally diverse individuals in the United States is a complex issue that requires inventive strategies to reduce risk factors and buttress protective factors to promote greater well-being among individuals, families, and communities. With growing diversity concerning various ethnicities and nationalities; and with significant changes in the constellation of multiple of risk factors that can influence health outcomes, it is imperative that we delineate strategic efforts that encourage better access to primary care, focused community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical and translational research methodologies, and health policy advocacy initiatives that may improve individuals’ longevity and quality of life.

COVID-19 and Pakistan: a survey assessing the awareness of patients presenting to the outpatient departments of health care centers.

“…Shorkot is a rural area with problems like a low literacy rate (70.4% of study participants from Shorkot had the education of less than matric) and lack of basic facilities like electricity and high-speed internet. These point towards a need of finding ways to educate the community by innovative and unconventional ways by involving local leaders and engaging the public directly along with the use of social media and television campaigns so that the multi-faceted health needs of communities can be met in a comprehensive and cost-effective way [ 18 ].…”

Reforming Women’s Health Care: A Call to Action for Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners to Save Lives of Mothers and Infants

“…84 Thus, advocacy efforts should specifically engage diverse and vulnerable women in setting the reform agenda and in the development and presentation of data, stories, concerns, and recommendations to administrators. [84][85][86] The forte of the practicing LM physician is the prevention, treatment, and even reversal of chronic common diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, via optimization of weight, diet, activity, stress, and sleep levels. 77,78,87 Applying the LM core competencies for women across the life span can translate to profoundly protective effects during pregnancy and childbirth.…”

“…84 Thus, advocacy efforts should specifically engage diverse and vulnerable women in setting the reform agenda and in the development and presentation of data, stories, concerns, and recommendations to administrators. 84-86…”

The Improved Health Outcomes Program (iHOP): A Unique Model to Promote Provider-Driven Research in a Medicaid Population

“…Improving population health outcomes is a complex challenge requiring commitment and action by multiple stakeholders, including communities and community providers, health systems, academia, and government [ 1 ]. Academic institutions with health science programs can have particular influence in bringing stakeholders together around this challenge but cannot singularly address community health.…”