Creating Model Health Communities, Summit I: Recognizing Social Determinants of Health, Combating Health Disparities

The Creating Model Health Communities summits were developed to facilitate discussion about the role a medical school might play in developing “model health communities” in Austin-Travis County. Topics addressed included health and human rights, patient-centered care, social and community medicine, medical humanities, health equity, and health care disparities. Nationally recognized speakers engaged with the summit participants to examine critical challenges and needed changes in health care and other systems, with a focus on education, research, policy, and service. With the ultimate goal of fostering interdisciplinary engagement between the university and the surrounding community, the summits also examined the role participatory research might serve as an important vehicle for their collaboration.

Summit I: Recognizing Social Determinants of Health, Combating Health Disparities saw participants work together to suggest university-community strategies for promoting a community-based view of health, one that encourages and supports not only physical and mental health, but economic, environmental, social, psychological, and political health as well.