Health Equity
Adventist Health is working to transform the health experience for residents in 90 diverse communities through an innovative approach to physical, mental, and spiritual health.
We’re all made for more. More commitment. More making a difference. More working together to achieve bright futures and healthy families. That’s why we are inspired to serve beyond the doors of our hospitals and clinics to create meaningful change together in our communities.
Our Community Impact Reportshowcases the many ways we are working towards our vision to transform the health experience of our communities by improving physical, mental and spiritual health; enhancing interactions; and making care more accessible and affordable. Our hospitals have a tradition of serving their communities through providing healthcare services, bolstering the local economy by hiring local workers, developing community partnerships, addressing social determinants of health and building new clinical facilities to meet people where they are.
Growing Our Workforce
Building the pipeline to healthy communities
With a nationwide healthcare workforce shortage, particularly in rural and underserved areas, Adventist Health has created a system-wide workforce strategy focused on training, pipeline and development programs. Through our workforce development programs, we’re continuing to train physicians, providing opportunities for youth, assisting the nursing workforce shortage and creating career pathways for low-income and minority populations. Our growth and pipeline programs are community investments that promote well-being.
"It’s imperative that people from under-resourced communities have the training and access to high-demand and well-paying careers. (Adventist Health) White Memorial’s Healthcare Workforce Development Program continues to provide important career pathways in the health related fields that we all rely on for personal and economic health."
- Raul Bustillos, Senior Vice President, Community Relations, Bank of America
Community Building
Investing in building stronger, healthier communities
We recognize that unmet social needs can cause major disparities in health outcomes. Research shows that medical care accounts for 20% of health outcomes whereas 80% is driven by the social determinants of health. That is why we’re addressing the root causes of well-being by investing upstream to improve social and economic conditions. From neighborhood infrastructure to healthy food access and housing, the social determinants of health shape the environments where people live, learn, work and play. We are partnering with our communities to connect them with resources that focus on health-related social needs.
"It’s so exciting to see our community come together to find ways to make the healthy choice easier… It’s not difficult to make the healthy choice. It doesn’t have to be complicated. We just need to make sure that our community has the availability of easy choices; healthy choices."
- Karen Goh, Mayor, City of Bakersfield
Creating Equitable Health
Partners in promoting health equity
Many community members face barriers that stop them from getting care at the right time and in the right place. That is why we are committed to meeting people where they are. Through community partnerships and collaboration, we’re making care accessible to our most vulnerable populations with programs from addiction care to housing services and neonatal telemedicine.
“Project IMPACT (at Adventist Health Portland) is an important expansion of our mission. We want every patient who comes to our hospital to leave with the hope, care and tools to reach toward a healthy future.”
- Dr. Julie Byler, Addiction Specialist