Health Equity

In Lewis and Clark County, as in many parts of the United States, measurable economic and health disparities between racial and ethnic groups reflect deep-rooted inequities shaped by historical and systemic racism. While the majority of our population is White, our American Indian and Montana Native residents continue to experience disproportionately worse outcomes in critical areas such as household income, life expectancy, and premature death rates.

The social determinants of health—or vital conditions for well-being—such as stable housing, access to quality education, economic security, and healthcare, all contribute to these unequal outcomes. For our American Indian and Montana Native communities, barriers to these vital conditions persist, limiting opportunities for health and prosperity.

At Lewis and Clark Public Health, we are committed to the work of improving health outcomes for minority populations in our community and championing their equitable access to the vital conditions for well-being that make it possible to live and thrive in our community.

According to our current Strategic Plan(PDF, 728KB) , our first strategic initiative, adopted by the City-County Board of Health, is to consider health equity and social determinants of health in all aspects of public health work. Related goals include:

1. Improve knowledge of health equity and social determinants of health and build capacity to integrate those into existing public health programs.

2. Enhance access to public health services by addressing barriers to health equity and reduce disparities. 

In addition, our dedicated staff at Lewis and Public Health has put together an excellent list of trainings and resources to better equip professionals and organizations to meet the specific and equitable needs of the diverse communities they serve. You can find that document here(PDF, 491KB).