Can We Really Eliminate Health Disparities? Is there the WILL To do So? Hear From Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown

[N'Zinga Shani]

Can We Really Eliminate Health Disparities? 
According to Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.. “as we look at health reform, there are real opportunities to address disparities in health. As we expand access, we need to increase quality and equity. I believe we can eliminate health disparities.”  Read more at the article linked below.

Health Enterprise Zones: "I Believe We Can Eliminate Health Disparities" - NewPublicHealth, 12/12/2012

The state of Maryland recently passes legislation to address health disparity issues through “health enterprise zones.” The legislation allows local non-profits, health agencies, and local health providers to work together to address this critical issue through innovative public health strategies including tax incentives, financial awards and capital improvement funding for physicians and health care organizations.

Lt. Governor Brown: The concept (of enterprise zones) is not new, only new in the area of health care and health disparities, but it has been tried and tested already. For example, in economic development, we have economic enterprise zones. In some communities in the U.S. facing economic distress and a high unemployment rate, jurisdictions have offered a package of incentives to companies to provide jobs in those areas and they call them economic enterprise zones. The Harlem Children’s Zone is located in an area of New York City where you have underperforming schools in distressed communities. The community was targeted with resources to improve performance in school. So that is the same concept for addressing disparities that we are looking at for improving health disparities in Maryland. If it works in school and works in economic development then it will work with health disparities.

http://www.rwjf.org/en/blogs/new-public-health/2012/12/health_enter...