The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) as 1 of 20 recipients across the country who have been awarded funding through the Closing the Gap with Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) as 1 of 20 recipients across the country who have been awarded funding through the Closing the Gap with Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plans.
IDPH Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention was awarded $125,000 for the Oakridge Neighborhood Project to address the social determinants of health and chronic disease needs of Polk County community members. In
collaboration with the Oakridge Neighborhood, Polk County Health Department, United Way of Central Iowa and The Directors Council (TDC), the project will build on the work of the TDC One Economy Report by developing an implementation-ready plan to reduce disparities in health outcomes related to chronic disease among community members in the Oakridge Neighborhood, the state’s largest Section 8 community. “This project will engage our community members to collect and assess community health needs and connect community members to resources to support their health and well-being,” said Oakridge Neighborhood President and CEO, Teree Caldwell-Johnson.
The conditions in which we are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age—known as social determinants of health (SDOH)—have a profound impact on health. They influence the opportunities available to us to practice healthy behaviors,
enhancing or limiting our ability to live healthy lives. Chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are the leading causes of death and disabilities. Differences in SDOH contribute to the stark and persistent chronic
disease disparities in the United States among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
CDC funding was provided to help accelerate actions in state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions that lead to improved chronic disease outcomes among persons experiencing health disparities and inequities. Interventions that focus on SDOH have tremendous potential to narrow disparities across many chronic diseases by removing systemic barriers to practicing healthy behaviors. “We are grateful for the strong, multi-sector partnership that will support the Oakridge Neighborhood Project,” said Dr. Nalo Johnson, Division Director of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. “Being in conversation with community members themselves regarding their SDOH and chronic disease needs will ensure greater success in the public health interventions we implement to address their needs.”
You can learn more about the CDC’s public health approach by visiting the CDC’s Social Determinants of Health page.