Office of Inclusive Excellence Newsletter
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MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATE DEAN |
This month, The Common Thread invites us to reflect on equity in global and community health. When we hear the phrase “global health,” we often think first about health concerns at an international level. However, global health is also present in our local communities in the experiences of immigrants, refugees, rural communities, multilingual families, and individuals whose access to care is shaped by geography, policy, poverty, displacement, or trust.
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An inclusive excellence lens reminds us that health equity extends beyond any single classroom, clinic, campus, or country. Inclusive excellence asks us to consider how social, political, cultural, and economic conditions influence who receives care, who delays care, who feels safe seeking care, and who is left out of traditional systems of support.
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HEALTH EQUITY FOCUS OF THE MONTH |
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Structural Access and Community Partnership in Global and Community Health
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Health equity requires more than the availability of health services. A clinic, screening, vaccine, referral, or health education resource can, but that does not mean every person can access it, understand it, trust it, afford it, or use it safely. This is why the concept of structural access is so important. A great example of this issue was reflected in our film screening last month of Cooked: Survival by Zip Code.
Structural access asks us to look beyond individual choices and consider the conditions shaping whether care is truly available. Transportation, insurance status, language access, documentation concerns, internet access, rural geography, work schedules, disability access, cultural safety, and prior experiences with health systems all influence whether people receive timely and respectful care. These barriers are often experienced by refugee and immigrant communities, rural communities, and other underserved populations, but these barriers are not limited to any one group.
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This month, Equity in Action highlights the work of Dr. Carol Lange, an Associate Professor and Founding Faculty Member at The George Washington University (GWU) School of Nursing (SON). Her work has advanced global health education, international partnerships, and community-based learning. As former Director of Global Initiatives, she helped prepare students to learn with communities and practice with cultural humility, equity, and compassion.
Reflections on Global Health Nursing Education: Learning with Communities and Preparing Nurses for a Connected World
For many years, I had the privilege of serving as Director of Global Initiatives at GWU SON while teaching global health at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In that role, I developed international and community-based educational experiences for students and faculty across SON programs.
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Equity in Global and Community Health |
Wellness is shaped not only by our personal choices, but also by the communities where we live, work, learn, and seek care. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s interactive feature, What Makes a Long Life? Look to Your ZIP Code, invites us to explore how life expectancy can vary by place and how factors such as housing, education, employment, transportation, and access to care influence health over time. Take a few minutes to explore the tool and reflect on what your ZIP code reveals about the connection between community conditions and well-being.
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VOICES OF INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE |
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Kenneth (Ken) Schappelle
Q: What does community partnership mean in your work?
A: In my work as the Director of Marketing and Communications, community partnership means mutually beneficial opportunities. In other words, these are partnerships that allow our nursing students to get out into low-income clinics, rural health centers, mobile clinics, and other non-hospital facilities so that they can learn to provide care to a wider swath of the population. It allows them to meet the patients where they are. These partnerships also provide such clinics (and their patients) with additional personnel and resources to help care for the health needs of those communities.
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Dr. Sherrie Wallington
Q: What does community partnership mean in your work?
A: In my work as a professor, social and behavioral scientist, and community-engaged scholar, community partnership means recognizing that health is shaped not only by healthcare services, but also by the communities where people live, work, learn, worship, and play. This perspective aligns closely with the values of nursing, which has long recognized the importance of caring for individuals, families, and communities in the context of their lived experiences. I am proud to say that virtually all of my research has emerged from ideas, priorities, and concerns identified by community members and organizations.
As I often say, "It is not enough to bring communities to the table; we have to change the way the table is set." To me, that means engaging communities from the very beginning, listening to their expertise, sharing decision-making, and co-creating solutions that are meaningful, culturally responsive, and sustainable. Through these partnerships, we can advance health equity, strengthen trust, and improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.
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Upcoming & Future Conferences |
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COMMUNITY HEALTH IN ACTION |
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Local public health access: Back-to-school immunization clinics, community health fairs, county health department resources, or school-entry health requirements.
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Refugee and immigrant health: The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (UCRI's) refugee health work is a useful source for framing health access, trust, and evidence-based public health in refugee communities.
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Refugee Health Screenings / Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) - USCRI
District of Columbia: Look to Community of Hope for medical, dental, and emotional wellness services specifically targeted to refugee populations. Other prominent community safety-net providers include La Clínica del Pueblo and the Spanish Catholic Center.
Maryland: CCI Health & Wellness Services conducts Refugee Health Assessments across their Silver Spring and Greenbelt locations.
Virginia: Specialized clinics and local health districts work alongside resettlement agencies like the International Rescue Committee to bridge gaps in language access and care.
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Mental Health Equity: July aims to raise awareness about mental health challenges and eliminate stigma within Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This month it is closely connected to culturally responsive care, language access, stigma reduction, and trauma-informed approaches.
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National Crisis Support
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate, free, and confidential crisis support. Services are available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
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The Steve Fund Crisis Text Line: Text STEVE to 741741 to connect with a culturally trained crisis counselor, specifically tailored to young people of color.
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The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth): Call 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 for specialized LGBTQ+ crisis support.
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Advocacy & Educational Toolkits
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Mental Health America (MHA): Download their annual BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit via Mental Health America for conversation starters, printable resources, and strategies to build "Trusted Spaces" in diverse communities.
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National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Explore the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month initiatives on NAMI to access their Sharing Hope series and learn about the history of the observance.
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Culturally Competent Organization Networks
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The Asian Mental Health Project: Provides accessible resources and community-building for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders available through Asian Mental Health Project.
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Therapy for Black Girls & Therapy for Black Men: Use therapist directories and mental health resources on Therapy for Black Girls.
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Latinx Therapy: Access a national directory of Latinx therapists and culturally responsive mental health podcasts on Latinx Therapy.
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CALL TO REFLECTION OR ACTION |
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This space will feature a prompt designed to help you grow in relationship with yourself and others. Here is July's reflection prompt:
As we reflect on Equity in Global and Community Health this month, consider:
Where do you see local health needs that are connected to global issues, such as migration, language access, displacement, poverty, climate, or unequal access to care?
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