Health Equity
Did You Know?
Health disparities are preventable differences in health among population groups. According to the Urban Institute,
- Texans have a lower life expectancy and live in poorer health than the rest of the nation.
- Black and Hispanic adults in Texas have higher rates of obesity and diabetes than white Texans.
- Black infants in Texas have a higher mortality – twice that of other races.
- Black women in Texas have a four times higher rate of pregnancy-related mortality than Hispanic women, and two times higher than white women.
- White Texans have higher rates of cancer and depression.
- In 2018, Texas had the highest cost burden attributable to health disparities in the nation – $460 billion for racial and ethnic health disparities and $70 billion for education-related health disparities.
These interactive maps help us understand and compare disparities across Bexar County:
- The City of San Antonio Office of Equity maintains an Equity Atlas.
- CI:Now maintains the Bexar Data Dive.
Taking Action for Health Equity
University Health is committed to identifying root causes of health disparities and implementing evidence-informed solutions to advance health equity and improve health outcomes.
Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health regardless of:
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Ability
- Sex
- Gender identity or expression
- Sexual orientation
- Nationality
- Socioeconomic status
- Geographic location
Health disparities aren’t easy to solve. But understanding where disparities exist and connecting people to resources are steps University Health is taking to improve health for everyone.
In March 2024, University Health adopted a Health Equity through Action and Leadership (HEAL) Strategic plan [PDF] with five domains and priorities for 2024. The domains include:
- Advance Health Equity as a Strategic Priority
- Enhance Infrastructure to Support Health Equity Initiatives
- Identify Health Disparities
- Implement Evidence-Informed Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities
- Partner with the Community to Advance Health Equity
Read about University Health’s work to advance health equity in 2023 [PDF].