Three Community Coalitions Receive Funding to Advance Health Equity
Methodist Healthcare Ministries announces the 4th Cohort of its
Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together Implementation Phase
Methodist Healthcare Ministries announces the 4th Cohort of its
Prosperemos Juntos | Thriving Together Implementation Phase
Culture and tradition often influence beliefs and behaviors within communities. As connections form over time, so do feelings of support and reinforcement, which can then lead to positive changes. 1 Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc. recognizes the importance of partnering alongside these vibrant communities. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Methodist Healthcare Ministries is celebrating diversity across its 74-county service area, including within its own workforce. Several team members are sharing their stories of culture and how it has inspired them to be a part of MHM’s mission in Serving Humanity to Honor God.
A unique bond to culture and community:
Prosperemos Juntos|Thriving Together (PJTT) is a unique program deeply engrained in parts of Bexar County, the Mid-Border region, and the Laredo area. PJTT is a power-shifting collaborative that engages and supports coalitions to create solutions that improve the health and well-being of their respective communities.2 Cristina Ordonez, PJTT Supervisor, has been with MHM for two years said, “I support the coordinators in our departments as we deepen our work. I also support the coalitions in the communities we serve as they work on upstream efforts through the health equity strategies they identify, develop, and implement.” Ordonez describes the people in these areas as, “loving, resilient, and inspiring”; she also shares in their passion for advocacy and change. At an early age, Ordonez experienced challenges that existed in her own neighborhood, “I grew up on the West Side of San Antonio, in the 78207-zip code, one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the city. While I witnessed a lot of inequities in our schools, justice system, and even the infrastructure of my neighborhood, I never saw a lack of community.” Ordonez forged connections with people, who inspired her to make a difference, “I was fortunate to meet incredible community organizers and advocates early on, who instilled in me the importance of giving back to my community and being a proud advocate and representative.”
Paving a path toward inclusion and representation:
Ordonez credits her Mexican American culture for shaping her work ethic and views on community, “Growing up, I learned the importance of family, solidarity, and mutual support—values that guide how I approach collaboration and problem-solving in my work.” Her upbringing and connection to her culture is an invaluable insight that MHM defines as “lived experience”; personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events. Ordonez said her lived experience has been a source of inspiration and motivation, “My culture has taught me to honor my roots, stay connected to my heritage, and use my experiences to advocate for greater inclusivity and representation. It pushes me to ensure that Latinx voices are heard, and that the richness of our culture is reflected in the work I do, whether through creativity, storytelling, or advocacy.” Ordonez believes Latinx representation is important because it creates a clearer picture of society and the diversity that exists, “When Latinx voices, experiences, and cultures are represented in media, politics, and other spheres, it promotes understanding and breaks down stereotypes. Representation also ensures that the issues and perspectives of the Latinx community are considered in decision-making processes, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and just society for all.”
Honoring tradition and celebrating connection:
Ordonez believes it is important to recognize the trailblazers and teachers who have broken barriers, and the impacts that have been made throughout history, “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and honor the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Latinx communities. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the diverse traditions and experiences that shape the identity of millions of people.” Culture has played a significant role in Ordonez’s everyday life. She values the teachings that were instilled in her at an early age, which have helped her connect with coalitions on a deeper level. She said Hispanic Heritage Month holds a special meaning and serves as a reminder, “For me, it represents pride in cultural roots, a chance to reconnect with the heritage passed down through generations, and a moment to recognize the influence we have had in shaping society. It’s also a reminder of the importance of inclusivity, education, and ongoing efforts to ensure the stories of Latinx individuals are told and celebrated.”
A strong connection to community and culture can lead to a bigger impact over time. Ordonez’s environment helped to shape her views and inspire her to advocate for others. MHM understands the importance of a workforce that is enriched with diversity and experience. Across its service area, there exist unique challenges and barriers. However, MHM team members like Ordonez hold a deep understanding of the resilience within these communities. Representation is crucial in creating growth, fostering relationships, and creating a stronger foundation within MHM’s workplace and across its service area.
Sometimes, changing health outcomes begins with changing your perspective. Dr. Michael Lane, Board of Directors Chair for Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., remembers a story from several years ago where a team was treating a San Antonio resident who kept returning to the hospital for pneumonia. After the physician and the medical team dug deeper into their patient’s life, they found this woman, a senior citizen, lived in poor housing conditions filled with mold. Mold that was contributing to her frequent trips to the hospital.
Once social services intervened, she was able to improve her living conditions and stay out of the emergency room. This story helped change Dr. Lane’s perspective on healthcare. Rather than looking only at traditional healthcare and health behaviors for solutions to a person’s health, it’s critical to examine people’s social and environmental needs, and ultimately the vital conditions that contribute to an entire community’s health and well-being.
This perspective is important because clinical care and individual health behaviors make up only about 50 percent of the factors that can be altered to improve the length and quality of life of individuals within a community[1]. This means that, even after receiving quality healthcare services through Methodist Healthcare Ministries or another provider and creating healthy habits, such as regularly exercising, there are other social, economic, and physical environmental factors that can negatively or positively impact the health of individuals and entire communities.
These different health factors also often interact with each other. If some factors are impaired, such as living conditions plagued with mold, then other factors, such as the ability to work and attend school, may also be negatively affected. This in-turn may affect family income from one generation to the next, and a chain of other outcomes for generations of families. Because of the many possible interactions among the various health factors, it’s important to not only address individual needs, patient-by-patient and family-by-family, but also be even more proactive by addressing needs from a higher, community-level approach to make a broader impact.
One broader approach is to address the vital community conditions and social determinants of health (SDOH). These can be thought of as the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health and quality-of-life[2]. The emphasis is on looking at the economic, educational, healthcare, neighborhood, physical, social, and community conditions, place-by-place and community-by-community. When a community’s employment opportunities, water sources, transportation, and other systems adequately serve community members, this increases the entire community’s opportunity to thrive. Unfortunately, the reverse is also possible: If a neighboring community’s systems, infrastructure, processes, or policies do not create the necessary conditions for the community to thrive, the entire community’s health and well-being may suffer. This indicates inequities in health and well-being outcomes across places and groups of people. However, communities have the power to address the factors that contribute to these inequities and organizations like Methodist Healthcare Ministries can come alongside to support them.
“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive.”
Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO | Methodist Healthcare Ministries
It is with a deeper understanding of the impact of the social determinants of health and community conditions that Methodist Healthcare Ministries is building upon its 25-year legacy of increasing access to care for the least served. Their new strategic direction is focused on a commitment to advancing health equity which begins with recognizing the inequities inherent in its communities that contribute to poor health outcomes. Health Equity is Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.
Building Upon our Strengths
Methodist Healthcare Ministries cannot rely on one approach alone to expand its positive impact across South Texas. It must build upon its legacy of high-quality care and services. Ensuring access to care, enhancing community conditions, partnering with communities, and addressing systemic inequities are all essential to advancing health and well-being across communities.
Dr. Lane added, “We have to get everybody to recognize that healthcare is a shared value. We should want everyone to be healthy. How do we get there? We have to collaborate, listen and work together with our communities.”
This has led Methodist Healthcare Ministries to embrace a transformational journey that will go beyond a primary emphasis on access to healthcare services. The shift requires a greater focus on trying to change the community conditions that contribute to disproportionate levels of trauma, sickness, and early death. This work includes identifying root causes and historical legacies that contribute to cycles of intergenerational poverty. Most importantly, it requires building upon the assets that already exist within communities and recognizing community members as the greatest assets among them.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ President & CEO, Jaime Wesolowski, said access to care has been and will always be a priority for Methodist Healthcare Ministries, but its new strategic direction will take it even further in serving the community.
“The focus has sharpened to more intentionally advance health equity. We are now working with our communities at a deeper level to focus on social determinants, or gaps that are necessary to overcome to help their communities to thrive,” Wesolowski added.
The new strategic direction will encompass three focus areas: Transforming Internal Processes and Culture, Strengthening Communities, and Impacting Systemic Changes. This provides Methodist Healthcare Ministries with a roadmap of where it wants to go and how it can get there, as it co-creates solutions with patients, clients, and community members.
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Learn more about what Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is doing on its transformative journey through the Advancing Health Equity blog series, which will appear on mhm.org. If you have any questions, please email us at info@mhm.org.
[1] As described by Healthy County Rankings model.
[2] Healthy People 2030 Definition—expands upon the MHM/WHO definition by adding “worship” to the list