Americans experience unhealthier lives and die sooner than our global peers – despite the fact that the United States far outspends them on health care. In order to reverse this systemic health crisis, we must expand the scope of the conversation around health to include the myriad socio-economic and environmental factors affecting an individual’s and a community’s health every day. Building a healthy American requires that every person have access to a quality education, living wage jobs, reliable transportation, nutritious food, affordable housing, safe streets, green spaces, democratic governance, and many other everyday requirements. We are committed to addressing the myriad factors that contribute to healthy communities.
The FAITH IN ACTION Center for Health Organizing was created to develop a long-term, strategic vision that connects access to health care and building healthy communities into one movement intent on building a culture, economy and democracy that serves peoples fundamental requirements for health.
Inclusion & Racial Equity
Health disparities are the worst and most persistent in communities of color. The solution will require policies that target communities of color, and also work to strengthen peoples’ ability to advocate for their own needs. We have multiple goals to create an inclusive movement for health. First, we are working to provoke a deeper, more sustained public conversation about race, a conversation that leads to a renewed commitment to eliminate racial disparities that persist throughout our society. We are convinced that progress on our specific policy goals and the larger task of building a new multi-racial coalition for social justice requires that we move toward, not away from, a frank reckoning with racial privilege. Second, we work with organizers and community leaders across the country to develop their own leadership and draw in others from their community. There is not one policy solution that will reduce racial disparities in health, but instead a focus on strengthening community power and launching a deep public conversation will open up new possibilities for healing.
Areas of Focus Expanding Coverage and Care
- Ensuring everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health coverage Transforming Delivery Systems
- Ensuring everyone in America has fair and equitable access to our health care system Building Healthy Communities
- Ensuring everyone in America has the opportunity to live a full, productive, prosperous life
