Arielle Dance, PhD

We have a lot of work to do when it comes to health equity across the U.S.             Racial health disparities exist in every state. Even in states with above average healthcare systems for all racial groups, Black and Native Americans are far more likely to die early from preventable deaths than white and Asian Americans. Racial disparities in health are driven by factors inside and outside state health care systems. "The policy choices that federal, state and local leaders have made over many decades have led to economic suppression, unequal educational access, and widespread housing segregation, all of which have contributed in their own ways to worse health outcomes for people of color." Racial health disparities are further perpetuated by less insurance coverage and unequal access to quality primary care. We have a long way to go to achieve health equity — but it is possible. According to the report, we can bridge the gap by ensuring universal, affordable and equitable healthcare coverage; strengthening primary care systems and improving delivery of services; and investing in social services. Let's work together to ensure everyone regardless of race or ethnicity can access their full potential to live long, healthy lives.

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To improve #care and #outcomes, it is vital to capture input from people working on the frontlines of #HIVCare. Covering key topics like barriers to care, PrEP uptake, and combating emerging epidemics, your input will directly influence national advocacy, education, and training efforts. Complete the @HealthHIV State of HIV Care™ survey and ensure your voice and your experience are captured. #HIV #PrEP #Advocacy #Survey #Prevention #Treatment

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Kicking off 2025 with a powerful message from Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation and Vice Chair, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. She calls for urgent action on health equity, highlighting the alarmingly high maternal mortality rates and the disproportionate disparities affecting Black, Brown, and Indigenous women in particular. This ought to be a national priority—one that requires collaboration and focus. How can we work together to make meaningful progress on health equity? #AegisDigitalConsortium #HealthEquity #MaternalHealth #Partnerships

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Standardizing data analysis from APCDs means we can have better "apples to apples" across states, populations and care delivery patterns. Hard work from the Onpoint team and the participating states navigate many hurdles to complete this important work.

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🧠 Recent insights highlight a concerning disparity in the impact of #earlyonset #dementia on minorities, underscoring critical #diversity and #inclusion barriers in healthcare. Scientific American 's recent piece highlights a higher risk of developing dementia at a younger age and encounter significant obstacles in diagnosis and treatment for minority groups. This is compounded by systemic issues such as unequal healthcare access and socioeconomic disparities. Addressing these challenges is vital for improving health #outcomes and ensuring #equitable care for all. https://lnkd.in/dkTaiD3w

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The Model Minority isn’t a Model of Health - But is Often Seen as One    It’s common practice for health data to group together Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders but simplifying a diverse group into one racial category can often obscure crucial insights, and even contribute to the harmful “model minority” myth.     Take cancer data: When grouped together, Asian Americans’ leading cause of death is cancer. But for Indian Americans specifically, deaths due to heart disease were *twice* as common as cancer. Asian Americans are not a homogenous group, so many commonly shared statistics about how AAPIs have stronger health outcomes than other racial groups, conceal real concerns within smaller communities.      I encourage you to check out this insightful article from Forbes to learn more about how equitable data practices can help us dispel the ‘model minority’ myth:    https://lnkd.in/drpxD-Df   #DataEquity #DataJustice #AAPIHeritageMonth

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the need for a "whole-of-society approach" to advancing social connection. We've tried to heed that call in our work at Einhorn Collaborative, supporting a broader range of efforts that engage actors across sectors. That includes: Projects like Team Up to enlist large national civic organizations with a presence in local communities to help people build connection across difference through service. Research groups like Building H to measure the impact of products on consumers’ health and urge companies to do better to improve social connection and other health outcomes. Initiatives like Human Connections AI to bring together social connection experts with technologists to puzzle through how AI companions can be designed to enhance and not degrade human relationships. Another project that has helped us explore a facet of the whole-of-society approach is the Connective Tissue Framework, which puts forward a range of recommendations for how government – especially at the local level – can create the structural conditions and everyday opportunities for people to experience healthy connection. I've learned a lot from Sam Pressler, lead author of Connective Tissue. In this piece, I asked Sam to share more about the story behind the framework and a few highlights. https://lnkd.in/esayJU3b

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Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women*. In this commentary, Rebekah Dailey, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, LSSGB, 2023-25 Policy Fellow, and Stella A. Safo, MD MPH, Director, Health Equity, for the Stanford Biodesign Policy Program, highlight some of the lessons that advocates, policymakers, health care practitioners, and patients within maternal health spaces can draw from the advocacy and activism around HIV/AIDS. #healthequity #maternalhealth #BlackMaternalHealth #healthpolicy *CDC - check comments for reference https://lnkd.in/gBPFGd8k  

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Very good initiative..

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𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 teaches us that health is about more than just biology—it’s shaped by the world we live in. 🌍 From financial stress to housing insecurity, education access, and systemic racism, social determinants profoundly impact our communities. As a public health practitioner and social worker, I’ve seen: ❗how zip codes predict 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺 ❗how economic hardship drives 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 ❗how systems meant to help often 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮. This is why social epidemiology matters—it connects 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 to 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 and provides a roadmap for change. But knowing isn’t enough. The real work is dismantling inequities, advocating for marginalized communities, and building community-driven solutions. Addressing public health through the lens of equity and liberation is essential to overcoming these health disparities. Let’s keep pushing for systems that heal, not harm. #SocialEpidemiology #HealthEquity #LiberatoryPractice #PublicHealth #SocialWork

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It's been two years since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. The latest state scorecard by The Commonwealth Fund offers a baseline for evaluating the impacts of policy changes resulting from the ruling. Surveying data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the scorecard delves into the status of women's health and reproductive care in the U.S. The study uncovers concerning trends: States with restrictions tend to have fewer maternity care providers, with the highest maternal death rates observed in states with full bans. The research highlights that the gaps in women's health and reproductive care may widen in post-Roe America, particularly affecting Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women, along with those with low incomes in states with limited care access. Learn more about these findings and their implications: https://buff.ly/3WswPsU #WomenHealth #WomensHealthCare #HealthPolicy

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LBQ and Trans erasure in sexual and reproductive health and rights services (including HIV) is real and needs to be addressed! Learn more this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.

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Today is Policy Day of Black Maternal Health Week, so let’s talk about a few policies we should implement to improve maternal health care for Black pregnant people. Here’s a to-do list for policymakers on this year’s BMHW: ✔️ Expand Medicaid to 12 months postpartum in all 50 states: Dr. Jessica Pineda of Brown University found that “Black mothers are twice as likely to experience maternal mental health conditions but half as likely to receive treatment compared to White mothers.” Expanding Medicaid could help expand access to vital mental health services for conditions like postpartum depression. ✔️ Expand Medicaid to cover doula and midwife care: OB-GYN Dr. Dawn Owens Robinson said “Doulas save lives,” and the data proves it. Doulas help reduce disparities in Black maternal health care, and shouldn’t just be a privilege for the wealthy. ✔️ Protect reproductive rights: Black women living in states where abortion access is restricted face disproportionate risks from unintended pregnancies. Access to the full spectrum of reproductive care is important for maternal health overall.

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Advocacy is a relay race — and every voice matters. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃 When it comes to improving maternal healthcare, no one person can make change alone. It’s a collective effort, with each of us carrying the baton for a little while before passing it on. Some advocate through sharing their stories with policymakers. Some work behind the scenes, pushing for legislative change. Others carry the weight of personal loss to ensure no one else walks that path alone. Together, we move the conversation forward. Together, we spark change. At MoMMAs Voices, we believe in the power of community advocacy. We’re amplifying the stories of those who have experienced complications, loss, or inadequate maternal care — because those stories are the catalysts for real change. 💬 What inspires you to advocate for better maternal health? Your voice could be the baton that helps move maternal care policies forward. Together, we’re stronger. Together, we make change. #MaternalHealth #Advocacy #MoMMAsVoices #PolicyChange #CommunityImpact #HealthEquity

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Live in "New England" and looking to offer support in the spirit of Indigenous Peoples Day? Consider giving to Gedakina ... "Gedakina focuses on the challenges and hardships that Native American youth, women, and communities face daily and are rooted in multi-generational exposure to systemic poverty, oppression and violence. "While statistics can provide a rough snapshot of the challenges Native American youth, women, and men face, they often do not reflect the complex picture of the systemic and epidemic problems we are seeking to overcome. The urban, rural, and reservation communities we work within have extremely high unemployment, substantial food security issues, and challenges to health and wellbeing far above national rates. Many young people do not see a future out of poverty, and they cannot envision the potential opportunities and positive life outcomes. "Gedakina works to expose our young people to possibilities, providing resources and opportunities and enable them to make choices and pursue positive life paths." https://www.gedakina.org/

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