Advocates and community members address health equity in Philly

American Heart Association advocates joined with other public health, safety, education, and community organizations to discuss the challenges faced in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, and how we can advocate for public policy solutions that address neighborhood health equity.

Challenges discussed at the forum included access to care, understanding the community and cultural differences, food insecurity, childcare and maternal health, housing, education, neighborhood equity, green spaces and environmental health.

After a robust conversation, organizations and individuals found common challenges that Philadelphians face and the urgent need to address access to care, nutrition security, and maternal health. To achieve health equity, we must develop sustainable model(s) to identify and develop the next generation of neighborhood advocates, build trust with community members, and identify the potential local policy solutions to improve health equity.

The forum was hosted by the Philadelphia Collaboration for Equitable Health, a healthy equity initiative powered by Bank of America, in collaboration with the American Heart Association (The Association), the American Diabetes Association^® (ADA), the American Cancer Society and the University of Michigan School of Public Health, held its first advocacy community forum in Philadelphia at North10.

The forum was only one of the first steps in the Philadelphia Collaboration for Equitable Health’s plan to leverage advocacy to improve health outcomes. If your organization would like to participate in next steps and discussions, please contact Jada Dove at [email protected].

Join Us Educating and Recruiting New Advocates at Heart Walk

At the state and local level of government in Pennsylvania we continue to advocate for smoke-free workplaces, solutions addressing nutrition insecurity, and for policies to increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. We need your help to spread the word of our advocacy efforts and register potentially hundreds of new You’re the Cure advocates!

Please let Katey know if you can join us at Heart Walk on Saturday November 4^th by emailing her at [email protected].

If the Phillies make the World Series, Heart Walk will be Sunday November 19^th.