NYCHC Responds To Injustice

NYCHC Stands United Against Injustice and Inequality.

As a rare disease patient organization, it has always been our role to speak up about health inequity, and fight to eliminate barriers to treatment.  We have long fostered the elevation of the patient community voices to expand access to care.  This is not a new area for us.  Still, health inequity exists and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown expanding gaps in health outcomes along racial lines.

This gap in health outcomes is fostered by systemic racism that is both current and generations old.  Much has been written in the public health sector about the impact of social determinants of health.  These are a series of evidence-based categories that are known to influence health outcomes, including: 

Economic Stability

• Employment
• Food Insecurity
• Housing Instability
• Poverty

Education

• Early Childhood Education and Development
• Enrollment in Higher Education
• High School Graduation
• Language and Literacy

Social and Community Context

• Civic Participation
• Discrimination
• Incarceration
• Social Cohesion

Health and Health Care

• Access to Health Care
• Access to Primary Care
• Health Literacy

Neighborhood and Built Environment

• Access to Foods that Support Healthy Eating
• Patterns
• Crime and Violence
• Environmental Conditions
• Quality of Housing

All of these categories of social determinants have been influenced by systems of racial injustice.  We must acknowledge and address these inequities to ever reach true health equity. Our role to improve health outcomes must involve plans to address racial justice.  NYCHC is committed to this work and is actively engaged in the following areas:

1. We are taking a hard look at ways we have either ignored or enabled systemic racism.
2. We are expanding leadership roles for diverse voices to better influence strategic priorities within our organization.
3. We are increasing funding allocations to programs that serve our communities of color.
4. We are hosting community discussions about race and health equity.
5. We are partnering with Believe Limited to expand Spanish Language resources through San Limite.
6. We will be expanding the locations we host events to bring quality programs to the neighborhoods that need it most.
7. We are launching a new online series called Unheard Stories to ensure all voices are heard.

Most importantly though, we are asking each of you to stand with us to fight racial injustice.  We need you to share with us stories where your voice has been lost to indifference.  As a community our bleeding disorders bind us together.   This unique connection makes us family regardless of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, age, gender, political affiliation, or sexual orientation. Inequity that impacts any of us will limit all of us.  Together we must work to identify and dismantle the systems that are expanding the gaps in health outcomes along racial lines.  If you are interested in helping with these efforts please complete the survey below.

Complete Survey Here