Guest column: Better data crucial to promoting health equity
Seeing patients is one of the joys of my profession.
But as the chief medical officer of Kennedy Community Health, I rarely have the availability to take on new ones. So when a cancellation left an opening on my schedule, I jumped at the chance to see a new patient from my home country of Venezuela.
As we started talking, she teared up. She was happy, she said, because she had found a doctor who understood not only her language, but her culture and the struggles she’s faced since coming to the United States.
I believe all people deserve access to quality health care in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. It’s a view shared by the providers, nurses and staff at community health centers across the country, which serve more than 30 million Americans each year. Since 1965, community health centers have provided vital care to anyone who needs it no matter their ability to pay.
But even with the dedication of these organizations, there is still more to be done to address the disparities within health care in the United States.
Statistics show that an individual’s physical health and life expectancy are directly related to their home ZIP code. Factors such as race, income, access to healthy food, an individual’s level of education and their housing arrangements all play a role in a person’s overall physical quality of life.
I understand all too well the systemic barriers faced by non-white individuals and the providers who serve them. In 2022, I joined the Health Equity Compact, a nonprofit created to address the challenges faced by diverse members of the community to advance health equity in the commonwealth. The 65 members of the group bring together their expertise from a variety of backgrounds with the goal of improving health outcomes.
The Health Equity Compact believes that change begins at the top. Lawmakers, insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies and medical schools must all take a seat at the table and work together to eliminate systemic barriers that have long prevented underserved individuals from receiving the same level of care as those with means.
As we work to address these barriers, the Health Equity Compact has proposed legislation, An Act to Advance Health Equity, that will strengthen the reporting of health equity data — information we need to know to better address the problem — and make it easier for people to access care. If passed, legislation will not only benefit patients at our community health center, but all individuals who are afraid to seek medical care for fear of cost. I urge you to call your local legislators and ask for their support on this critical legislation.
We must all join in the fight for health equity. It’s critical to the success of our communities and the well-being of patients who want to feel heard when they seek out the health care they need.
Dr. Pablo Hernandez is chief medical officer at Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, with locations in Worcester, Framingham and Milford.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Dr. Pablo Hernandez guest column on health equity legislation
