An area of healthcare that has recently become very important to me is community transformation projects focusing on the social determinants of health: environment, economic stability, access to care, education, and community resources. Only 15% of our health is determined by the healthcare we receive, so looking at the other 85% is not only imperative, it is just good math.
At Forbes, I look at where health and environment converge, not just in our own backyards, but globally as well.
This past March, I met Luis Giuria at the Building a Healthier Future for America Summit. He was smiling ear to ear when he and his beautiful family took the stage to talk about what an impact his environment has had on his life.
Luis was born in the South Bronx, and grew up eating inexpensive junk food because it was the easy, affordable option. His hometown lacked safe playgrounds and he never learned the importance of exercise. By age 27, he weighed nearly 400 pounds, had trouble sleeping, finding clothes that fit, and was prone to injury. To be a good father and husband, and good to himself, he knew he needed a major life change. That’s when he discovered Arbor House, an innovative low-income housing project in the Bronx that was designed to encourage physical activity. Arbor House boasts indoor-outdoor gyms, play areas for children, a rooftop farm that provides fresh produce and clean air, and abnormally slow elevators that encourage residents to take the stairs. Luis and his family moved into Arbor House, and it’s helped the whole family embrace healthy living. Luis has lost 200 pounds thanks to his new environment and other healthy lifestyle choices.
His experience shows where health and environment converge. Most people would still list exercise, diet, or access to affordable healthcare as the key determinant of health—and those are all important. But the most important factor is one that influences everything else: your zip code.
Read more at Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2015/04/15/where-health-and-environment-converge/