April is National Minority Health Month, and to celebrate, Carson City Health and Human Services wants to recognize the diversity and minority communities in our area. We also want to make sure that our community members are as healthy as possible and have access to the resources that they need. Being a part of a minority group can take on many meanings, and this is true for the Carson City community. Most often when the term “minority” comes to mind people think of racial or ethnic minorities. While these are a few types of minority groups, there are many others to consider when keeping the overall health of the community in mind. Other groups include different age groups, individuals with disabilities, homeless individuals, uninsured and underinsured individuals, and many more. Focusing on minority health ties into the idea of health equity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines health equity as the chance for everyone to achieve their health potential. This means that no one should face challenges in getting access to care based on things that cannot change in their life or environment. Part of the goal of achieving health equity involves reducing health disparities. Health disparities are any problems that get in the way of someone living a healthy life that would not happen under different circumstances. These problems cause gaps in healthcare and services that can impact physical, mental, or emotional health. Unfortunately, these gaps can have long lasting effects such as a lower quality of life, disease, and even death if they are not addressed. To achieve health equity, it is important to provide resources to the community that promote healthy lives. This has been especially true over the past two years as Carson City and the world were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, CCHHS has tried to reach out to minority groups, and the community at large, through testing and vaccination events, providing a community hotline to answer questions, working with other local social service agencies to provide resources to those in quarantine or who have been heavily impacted by COVID, and providing surveys about available resources and COVID-19 vaccinations to understand how the community feels about these topics. There are other services that encourage health equity which CCHHS provided well before the pandemic and continues to provide. These include but are not limited to clinical services, inspections for local businesses, preparing the community for other emergencies such as natural disasters, and promoting different health topics and new information on our website. CCHHS will continue to support our minority groups and hopes the community will stand beside us as we tackle these issues together. If you are looking to support health equity goals and minority groups in the community, here are some ways to help: • Use available community resources • Provide feedback on what is working and what is not • Get involved in community projects and outreach • Learn about other cultures and minority groups from members of those communities According to the National Institutes of Health, the theme of National Minority Health Month for this year is “give your community a boost.” So, we should all work together to give our community a boost by making everyone as healthy and happy as possible. For additional resources and information about Carson City Health and Human Services programs and services, check out our website at www.gethealthycarsoncity.org, follow us on Twitter @CCHealthEd, “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cchhs, follow us Instagram @gethealthycarsoncity, call us at 775-887-2190, or visit us at 900 E. Long St., in Carson City.
