CATALYST
approach in philanthropy at the time was to focus on reducing health inequities by supporting
health programs designed to address rising rates of childhood obesity, access to healthcare services,
and advocacy. Race and equity were rarely discussed as strategies to combat poor health outcomes.
Today, the question worth asking is what has changed? In 2018, Georgia was ranked 39 th by the
United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings Report . Health inequities continue to plague
our state with the burden most apparent among people of color, women, children, rural
communities, and the poor. The existing healthcare infrastructure is increasingly fragile due to
rising healthcare costs, increasing numbers of uninsured individuals, hospital closures, and an
inadequate healthcare workforce tittering on collapse.
According to the 2019 County Health Rankings Report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
22% of children in Georgia live in poverty; 54% of those children live in households that spend
more than half of their income on housing costs; African American women are twice as likely to be
a victim of pregnancy related maternal death compared to White women and; 14% of births by
African American women are classified as low-birth weight regardless of socioeconomic status or
educational attainment.
Healthcare has become a political lightening rod in the U.S., and in Georgia, despite persistent poor
health outcomes. Health status and wellness are directly correlated to who you are and where you
live. Racial inequities impact on health isn’t a new concept. What is slowly changing, however, is the
clarion call to action embraced by the philanthropic sector to take a closer look at how grantmaking
strategies need to account for systemic racism that exists in the form of policies that either hinder
progress toward equity, support “business as usual” or outright creates roadblocks to allowing
equitable access to services or opportunities.
Philanthropy can no longer afford to ignore decades of institutionalized policies intended to limit
access and exploit people of color, whether it is the “redlining” housing policies, underfunded public
education based on property taxes, banking policies limiting access to business loans, predatory
lending practices or denying access to medical treatment in deceptive clinical research studies.
These factors have contaminated the healthcare ecosystem, limiting the degree to which any one
program or initiative can impact reducing health inequities.
“
Philanthropy can no longer afford to ignore
decades of institutionalized policies designed
to limit access and exploit people of color.
”
Healthcare Georgia Foundation is taking steps to fully embrace health equity by being more
intentional in its grantmaking and through the recent adoption of a five year strategic plan that
reaffirms our mission and vision of health equity for all. Our focused vision will allow the
Foundation to leverage its resources, continue its position as a thought leader in healthcare and
reimagine existing partnerships and create new ones. As a statewide convener, the Foundation can
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HEALTHCARE GEORGIA FOUNDATION