The Washington Post via Getty Images
Research has consistently demonstrated strong links between people’s health and societal sectors such as employment, community development, education, housing, and transportation. Efforts are underway nationwide to combine expertise and resources across multiple agencies and community partner organizations to help states more effectively address factors such as living environment, income level, and social conditions that often have strong ripple effects on community health outcomes.
That mission, however, has become more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic in part because certain populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, have been at increased risk of contracting and dying from the disease. As a result, these collaborative efforts have had to adjust their strategies to meet changing demands in an ongoing crisis.