Community Outreach as a Social Determinants of Health Coordinator

In undergraduate I was a public health major.  As a public health major, we were taught how important social determinants of health are. Social determinants are the conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health outcomes. Social determinants of health contribute to widespread health inequities and disparities. This service year has allowed me to see what this looks like in practice. 

During this year I have worked as a Social Determinants of Health Coordinator at Erie Family Health Center in Humboldt Park. I have seen how the work done at Erie addresses barriers to healthcare patients face. One of the biggest barriers is access to healthy foods. Some health issues experienced by the community I am serving include food insecurity, obesity & diabetes. According to the Chicago Community Trust, 40% of households in Humboldt Park received food stamp benefits and 30% accessed food pantries. Humboldt Park has 25% of people living in poverty which has a great impact on the need to receive food and food of nutritional value. The lack of access to nutritional foods is one of the reasons why the rate of obesity and diabetes are so high in Humboldt Park.The lack of walkability, safety, and access to healthcare contribute to these disparities as well. I work to address these disparities in my role. 

One way my co-workers and I have addressed this issue is by signing patients up for Instacart. Erie Family Health Centers partnered with Instacart to provide groceries for patients. Patients who completed a Health Risk Assessment, indicated they need food resources and live in the westside of Chicago were eligible to receive a monthly $79 instacart stipend for a year. I personally heard from patients how rewarding this program was. I had patients tell me how excited they were to purchase their favorite vegetables and others who were relieved they did not have to go outside, in the cold Chicago winter weather, to get their groceries.

I also attend health outreach projects like health fairs, vaccine clinics, and food distributions. At the Waukegan food distribution we help over 200 people get food every month. Interacting with patients and helping them receive resources has been the most rewarding part of service. This work has allowed me to bridge some of the barriers patients face to living a healthy lifestyle.