Community-based organizations, nonprofits, policy makers, and local residents will benefit from Genesee County and the City of Flint's first Health Equity Report Card (HERC). This online tool helps people understand the complete picture of community health care by comparing 50 health-related indicators from 26 public sources.
The data included in the report card is specific to Genesee County and the City of Flint. This is useful for funders looking to inform grant proposals, guide new initiatives, reinvest in existing efforts, or scale up efforts to address areas of high disparity. It can be used to guide you.
“The report card is an important resource for addressing the disparities that have always existed in our community,” said Athena McKay, executive director of Flint Innovative Solutions. “We identify the cracks and craters of information that are missing for Black and Brown populations. This is a tremendous tool for advocating for policy change, program design, and community health impact. ”
HERC information is organized by location (Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, United States) and then by race (Black vs. White). Each indicator is divided into six categories: health services and access, socio-economic status, physical health, mental health, maternal and child health, and health outcomes.
“Social determinants of health contribute to the differences in outcomes shown in this report card,” Uphold explained. “This data shows outcomes that are influenced by where people live, work, worship, play, and age. Consider access to food, health care, education, and more. These variables influence health outcomes and quality of life.”
“As a community provider, having easy-to-understand data that identifies measurable issues is paramount to strategic planning,” said Kristen, director of Women's Specialty Preventive Services and Odyssey House of Flint, Saginaw, and Port Huron. Centers-Young said. “We may not understand the complexity behind the data, but we do understand the difference between being graded on a report card. It's easy to find and understand the F. An added benefit is that you can cut and paste problem descriptions into grant applications or presentation slides.”
“In a community where trust is lacking, good information about the community is invaluable,” said Patrick McNeil, HERC community partner and director of the North Flint Neighborhood Action Council. “That's why I believe the Health Equity Report Card is essential to our community. In an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation, it removes barriers to accessing the right information. Quality. By providing high-level data, we aim to make it easier for residents to understand while supporting organizations that address disparities in our region.”
HERC also identifies areas where more publicly accessible data is needed. For example, in the mental health category, he lists four indicators, but Uphold says he knows more information is needed to fully convey the mental health needs of the community. added.
“The Health Equity Report Card findings will help identify areas of high disparity and need for intervention, such as firearm homicide, diabetes, and life expectancy,” she said. “We hope to help other communities create similar report cards that highlight important issues.”
