PRESS RELEASE: Joint Center Commends Baltimore City Health Department’s Release of Health Disparities Report Card

May 27, 2010
For Immediate Release
Media Inquiries contact Betty Anne Williams, 202-789-3505
bawilliams@jointcenter.org

Joint Center Commends Baltimore City Health Department's Release of Health Disparities Report Card

WASHINGTON, DC-The "2010 Baltimore City Health Disparities Report Card" released today by the Baltimore City Health Department represents a groundbreaking approach to comprehensively monitor health disparities in the city, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution that focuses on the concerns of people of color.

The report is intended to serve as a one-stop source for assessing major health indicators and identifying gaps among demographic groups, while also offering guidance in planning strategic policy, systems, and behavioral interventions aimed at eliminating health disparities in the City of Baltimore.

The report found that residents in Baltimore City fared worse on 13 of the 14 indicators when compared with the statewide population.

"It is a remarkable report and groundbreaking self-assessment that reviews trends over time in a number of indicators of the city, county, and state's health," said Dr. Brian D. Smedley, Vice President and Director of the Joint Center Health Policy Institute. "Its findings are a resounding call to action."

Health disparities are a serious concern at the national, state and local levels. Baltimore has consistently fared worse than the rest of Maryland and the rest of the country on many health indicators, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, infant mortality, and asthma. These disparities are driven largely by differences in residents' access to resources and opportunities that promote and enhance health. These health promoting and enhancing resources and opportunities are called Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), and include access to healthy food, healthy housing, safe neighborhoods, education, employment opportunities, and transportation-all of which are influenced by policy decisions.

"The report makes clear that health inequities are not just a problem for the city's health department," said Smedley. "Because these inequities are rooted in policy decisions around land use, housing, education, transportation and the like, local and state government agencies need to work together with communities in multi-sector partnerships to determine neighborhood health risks and resources. Community groups must shape the agenda."

The Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI) is a pioneering program of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. HPI's mission is to ignite a fair health movement that gives people of color the inalienable right to equal opportunity for healthy lives.