A Social Determinants of Health Series:
Friday, March 27, 2020
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Webinar
Sponsored by Ventura County Health Care Agency, Ventura County Public Health, Ventura County Behavioral Health
Senior Vice President, Healthy Communities
The California Endowment
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Anthony Iton, MD, JD, MPH, is Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment. He oversees the organization's 10-Year, $1 billion statewide commitment to empower residents in 14 cities across California with the worst health outcomes to fight for changes in their communities that will help them lead healthier lives.
Prior to his appointment at The California Endowment, Iton served as the Director and County Health Officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department.
Read more about Dr. Iton.
Building Healthy Communities
Creating change includes establishing connections between and among people; establishing relationships and building trust. Local, individual, organizational and community efforts have the power to effect positive change in the lives of Ventura County residents.
Join us as Dr. Iton shares his message of resiliency and advocacy and inspires us to be part of the solution.
Learn moreRegister nowA healthy community depends on human, institutional, organizational and environmental resources available within the community. Community happens when people connect with each other. The healthy community encourages interaction. We support efforts to create or expand on the types of systems that make up the healthiest, most equitable communities.
For instance:
These efforts require the engagement of all sectors of a community. It takes a lot of hard work. But communities are transforming in ways that put better health within everyone's reach. Being part of the solution means we commit ourselves to building healthier communities through individual, organizational and community wide effort and engagement.
Please join us for an inspiring call to action!
The California Endowment:
Dr. Anthony Iton:
Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is a 10 year, $1 billion comprehensive community initiative launched by The California Endowment in 2010 to advance statewide policy, change the narrative, and transform 14 of California’s communities devastated by health inequities into places where all people and neighborhoods thrive.
Where you live shouldn’t determine how long you live, but it does.
In fact, health has more to do with place than doctors’ visits. The odds are stacked against low- income communities and communities of color. Because of a legacy of racial and economic segregation, anti-immigrant policy and a host of other historical “isms,” there are many communities in California where the neighborhood environment conspires to harm residents.
These environments lack basic health protective amenities like parks, grocery stores, decent schools, jobs, housing, and the list goes on. These neighborhood and community environments are not natural; they are manmade, and can be unmade.
Our goal is healthy, fair, and just communities for all people who call California home. Our theory for how to get there is simple: We are strengthening the fabric of our democracy by investing in the social, economic, and political power of the very residents who have been the targets of exclusion, stigma, and discrimination.
Transformative and sustained change also takes youth leadership, strong partnerships, and a compelling new story about how health happens—or should happen—in all communities. Youth and adult residents are harnessing this power and voice to change the rules at the local and state levels so that everyone is valued and has access to the resources and opportunities essential for health.
Over time, these changes will lead to better health outcomes for all.
When it comes to our health, our zip code matters more than our genetic code. For many communities in California and across the UnitedStates, easy access to healthy food options, parks for exercise, and good schools determines quality & length of life.
The California Endowment’s10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative seeks to bring equity to all neighborhoods so that all Californians can enjoy the benefits of healthy communities to live long and prosper. It’s time to change the odds for everyone.
