Chief physician executive
Eskenazi Health Center Forest Manor
Health equity zones are distinct areas where Eskenazi Health and community partners will work together to build healthy neighborhoods by addressing long-term social determinants of health, with the goal of increasing the life expectancy of area residents, and Eskenazi Health is excited to launch health equity zone initiatives near three Eskenazi Health Center sites. Those locations include Eskenazi Health Center West 38th Street — International Marketplace, Eskenazi Health Center East 38th Street — Northeast Corridor and Eskenazi Health Center Grassy Creek — Far Eastside.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines health equity as the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. As an example of how necessary health equity zones are, in Central Indiana the life expectancy in Fishers is 84.8, compared to downtown Indianapolis at 68.0 … a gap of 16.8 years.
Eskenazi Health and International Marketplace Coalition invite Northwest Indianapolis residents and community organizations to a public meeting on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. at the Global Village Welcome Center, 4233 Lafayette Rd., Suite A. Hosted by Eskenazi Health and International Marketplace Coalition, the meeting will allow those in attendance to provide insight into the community, discuss community needs and speak directly with leaders from Eskenazi Health, Eskenazi Health Center and International Marketplace Coalition to help create goals and implement a community plan for the International Marketplace Health Equity Zone. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be provided for event attendees.
Health equity zones are defined areas Eskenazi Health and community partners will work together to build healthy neighborhoods by addressing long-term social determinants of health, with the goal of increasing the life expectancy of area residents. Together with neighborhood residents and community partners, a collaborative community plan will be implemented to address immediate and systemic barriers through a holistic approach to improve:
Food as medicine – Eating healthy and nutritious food
Mental health wellness – Fostering resilience and healthy mindset
Health lifestyles – Creating the conditions for healthy living
Transportation and connectivity – Connecting to health, education, and employment
Housing – Supporting quality affordable and safe housing
Community connectedness – Building social capital and connection
Safety – Living free of violence, including intimate partner violence and child abuse
Economic opportunity – Creating pathways to economic self-sufficiency
health at theodore.grain@eskenazihealth.edu..
For more information about the public meeting, please contact Dr. Kimberly McElroy-Jones, director, community partnerships for community health at kimberly.mcelroy-jones@eskenazihealth.edu or Tedd Grain, director, social determinants of health at theodore.grain@eskenazihealth.edu..
Eskenazi Health has continued to support communities for over 160 years by offering and transforming quality health care to improve our patients’ and surrounding neighborhood residents’ lives. To learn more about available Eskenazi Health resources and programs, please visit https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/patients/neighborhood-resources.
