Waltham Health Equity Team
What is the Waltham Black Future Fund Health Equity Committee?
We aim to partner with healthcare providers and health organizations to promote health and wellness as well as address inequities in healthcare access. This will improve health outcomes across our community.
Why Health Equity?
In many cities and towns across our country, gaps in health care are large, persistent, and increasing. Many of them caused by barriers set up at all levels of our society. Health equity means increasing opportunities for everyone to live the healthiest life possible, no matter who we are, where we live, or how much money we make.
Why list BIPOC providers?
Everyone should have a healthcare provider who is empathetic and to whom they can relate. Research has shown that having a healthcare provider who represents you can lead to more effective healthcare and better outcomes.
RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Stayed tuned for additional updates!
CHILDCARE RESOURCES
Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women – and this disparity increases with age, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related deaths have persisted over time.
We maintain a list of free and low cost resources
for Parents, Guardians, Pregnancy.
COVID-19
Black Americans are infected with COVID-19 at nearly three times the rate of white Americans, according to a new document from the National Urban League. The report, based on data from Johns Hopkins University, also shows black Americans are twice as likely to die from the virus.
The vast majority of children dying from COVID-19 are Hispanic, Black or Native American, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This is in large part due to inqualities in healthcare and access. We will be maintaining local list of testing sites and information .
Mental Health Resources
Mental health conditions don’t discriminate, and neither should our mental health system. We are calling for systematic change and improved access to culturally competent care, so no one feels alone in their journey.
We are here for you. We will maintain and share curated list of BIPOC mental health resources
LEARN MORE
Links to learn more:
Black Doulas Are Banding Together to Beat High Infant Mortality Rates
Why Quality Care Means Equitable Care, Podcast with Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
Minority Patients Benefit From Having Minority Doctors, But That’s a Hard Match to Make
Research: Having a Black Doctor Led Black Men to Receive More-Effective Care
The Health 202: Black patients are less likely to face discrimination from black doctors
Bad Medicine: The Harm That Comes From Racism
An Executive Order Declaring Racism an Emergency and Public Health Crisis in the City of Boston
US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health
Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity
Join us
We are always looking for more individuals to participate in our committee, share feedback, or suggestions areas of focus.
Please reach out