Environmental Inequity: Impacts on Health in Chicago
As an AmeriCorps Member in the Department of Social Work and Community Health at RUSH University Medical Center, I help connect patients to various resources through our system’s Social Determinants of Health Screener. Through this experience, I was inspired to dive deeper into other factors that may impact someone’s health. A healthy environment is an […]
Addressing Stigma and Structural Barriers in Substance Use Treatment
As AmeriCorps members conducting social determinants of health (SDOH) screeners, we’ve witnessed firsthand how structural barriers and health disparities interconnect and compound. From transportation barriers resulting in difficulties accessing primary care to financial barriers preventing medication follow-up, our conversations with patients have illuminated health as a complex environmental web. January is Substance Use Disorder Treatment […]
Mental Health First Aid: A Critical Intervention for Supporting People in Crisis
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for spotlighting mental health issues, breaking down the stigma around mental health conditions, and acknowledging that mental health is as vital as physical well-being. For Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting a valuable training opportunity offered both at RUSH and worldwide: Mental Health First Aid. Content warning: […]
Elevating Social Determinants of Health within Healthcare Settings
As healthcare providers, we see the profound impact that the conditions in which patients live, work, and play have on patient health. These non-medical factors, also called social determinants of health, must be addressed in order to improve health outcomes and quality of life. In 2018, during a speech at the Hatch Center, former Secretary […]