Health Equity
Health for All: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures
Health Equity
Building a Culture of Health
Health Equity is the assurance of the conditions for optimal health for all people. It means that every individual, regardless of their background, has a fair chance to achieve optimal health.
Our health is determined by several factors, including genetics, family health history, medical care, and personal health habits. However, research has shown that most of our health is determined by the influence of social factors known as the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). While achieving optimal health is dependent on each of these factors, concerted effort and attention must be placed on identifying barriers that lead to health inequities across populations so that resources can be distributed according to specific needs.
The SEMHA Health Equity Division helps partners build their capacity to contribute to a culture of health in Michigan. The Health Equity Division helps partners ensure the communities served are valued and included and their experiences are centered, relationships are built for collective impact, and patterns and barriers that contribute to poor health in Michigan are removed.
The SEMHA Health Equity Division envisions a culture where the barriers that lead to health inequities in Michigan have been permanently removed, all individuals and populations are valued equally, historical injustices are acknowledged and rectified, and resources are distributed according to need.
3 Focus Areas of
Health Equity
Enhance the ability for partners to prioritize community voices and real-life experiences to monitor advancements in health improvement. This approach will serve as a valuable guide for partners dedicated to serving Michigan.
Act as a foundational organization that collaborates with and brings together entities from various sectors to introduce creative upstream solutions for enhancing health in Michigan.
Collaborate with partners to identify internal practices that perpetuate inequities and work together to develop new approaches and strategies to improving health in Michigan.
Programs and Initatives
With funding from the CVS Health Foundation, SEMHA and Wayne State University’s Center for Community Knowledge in Urban Populations (CHECK-UP) is co-leading D-CHEA, to build community coalitions to improve health outcomes for Detroit’s residents experiencing persistent poverty. Diverse stakeholders have been gathered to improve outcomes for cancer, cardiovascular and mental health over the next several years.
This is a statewide initiative funded by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), administered by MDHHS. SEMHA is partnering with the Center for Health Research and Transformation (CHRT) at Michigan Medicine to address social care needs for people in Wayne County. SEMHA serves as a backbone organization, for this collective impact initiative that will use Health Information Technology to strengthen clinical community linkages to meet both healthcare and social care needs.
SEMHA and the Hannan Center have partnered to train older adults as Community Health Workers (CHWs). With funding support from the Superior Health Quality Alliance, seniors will be equipped to provide care coordination and other support to their peers to help them age in place. This innovative program serves as a pilot and will be used to inform further efforts to support the work of CHWs.
Social Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that can impact their health outcomes. These determinants can include factors such as socioeconomic status, education, employment, access to healthcare, social support networks, and physical environment. By understanding and addressing these social determinants, we can work towards creating a more equitable and healthier society for all individuals. Focusing on these factors can help improve overall well-being and reduce health disparities among different populations.
With your mouse, hover over each of the 5 pillars below to discover SEMHA’s efforts to address SDOH.
Tap each colored band below to discover SEMHA’s efforts to address SDOH.
SEMHA facilitates collaboration between multiple partners to support diverse career advancement pathways for Community Health Workers (CHWs) that will promote social and economic mobility.
Through the Promotion of Health Equity Project, SEMHA partners with the education sector to address health-related needs of children and families that will lead to better educational achievement.
SEMHA provides services aimed at enhancing relationships between individuals and families and their care providers. These include the Kids' Health Connections programs, as well as initiatives such as the Promotion of Health Equity Project and the Senior CHW Pipeline Project, which focus on improving care coordination.
SEMHA offers CHWs consistent social support through networking events, aiding access to avenues for career progression. Through the Senior CHW Pipeline Project, SEMHA also collaborates with partners to provide social assistance to marginalized populations hindering their attainment of optimal health.
SEMHA collaborates with Wayne State University’s Center for Health Equity and Community Knowledge in Urban Populations (CHECK-UP) to spearhead community engagement initiatives in areas at heightened risk of encountering mental health challenges, cancer, and cardiovascular issues. This collaboration aims to pinpoint underlying causes and foster community-driven solutions.
Economic Stability
SEMHA facilitates collaboration between multiple partners to support diverse career advancement pathways for Community Health Workers (CHWs) that will promote social and economic mobility.
Education
Through the Promotion of Health Equity Project, SEMHA partners with the education sector to address health-related needs of children and families that will lead to better educational achievement.
Health & Healthcare
SEMHA provides services aimed at enhancing relationships between individuals and families and their care providers. These include the Kids’ Health Connections programs, as well as initiatives such as the Promotion of Health Equity Project and the Senior CHW Pipeline Project, which focus on improving care coordination.
Social & Community
SEMHA offers CHWs consistent social support through networking events, aiding access to avenues for career progression. Through the Senior CHW Pipeline Project, SEMHA also collaborates with partners to provide social assistance to marginalized populations hindering their attainment of optimal health.
Neighborhood & Built Environment
SEMHA collaborates with Wayne State University’s Center for Health Equity and Community Knowledge in Urban Populations (CHECK-UP) to spearhead community engagement initiatives in areas at heightened risk of encountering mental health challenges, cancer, and cardiovascular issues. This collaboration aims to pinpoint underlying causes and foster community-driven solutions.