April 26, 2022 | 3:00 p.m. CT
“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.” – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Life is complicated and every person faces different challenges. Social, economic and environmental factors – where people live, work, learn and play – have a profound impact on overall health. It is important to acknowledge health disparities because they provide a metric to measure progress toward advancing health equity. Addressing health disparities leads to improved quality of life. Policies, cultural norms and values and access to resources play a role in shaping health inequities. As trusted community members, healthcare professionals may recognize health disparities and provide valuable resources. This webinar will highlight these issues and opportunities to address health disparities and advance health equity.
Objectives: As a result of attending today’s Webinar, I am better able to:
- Describe the relationship and impact of social determinants of health, health disparities and health equity on populations
- Compare health disparities in urban versus rural populations
- Understand unconscious bias and the role it plays in healthcare settings
- Identify opportunities to advance health equity in healthcare settings and beyond
Presenter:
Sandra Melstad, PH.D, MPH | Public Health Consultant; SLM Consulting LLC
Melstad is a Public Health Consultant and owner of SLM Consulting, LLC based out of Sioux Falls, SD, which is focused on improving health and achieve health equity through prevention, multi-sector collaborations, and evidence-based decision making, including policy approaches to improve health equity. Sandra has worked in public health for over 16 years and works with state, regional, and national multi-sector public health-driven organizations, health systems, and universities focused on need assessment and action planning, public health workforce capacity building and training, and evaluation. Sandra’s targeted focus has been on addressing health inequities and building the capacity of the public health workforce to address these. Sandra also currently works collaborates with multiple (governmental and non-governmental) organizations on public health issues related to opioid use, cancer prevention, and chronic disease prevention and control. Sandra holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from the University of South Dakota. Her research interests include the public health workforce and health equity.
Co-sponsored by the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care
