Urban Health
Adding resources in disadvantaged neighborhoods
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we want to expand access to health care and elevate the experience and outcomes for every patient, employee, learner and member of our community.
As outlined in the medical center’s 10-year strategic plan, Impact 2035, our shared purpose is to:
- Provide world class care for every person every time
- Use relentless innovation to improve lives
- Become the best place to work and learn
To help us achieve these goals, our formal Health Equity program strives to engage every person at Ohio State to rethink and continually improve how we deliver care, teach medicine, expand research and recruit and retain employees.
Removing barriers to better health and wellness
Our goal is to expand access and improve the health and wellness of everyone, regardless of where they live or what their income, background, ethnicity, beliefs or other life realities may be.
To accomplish this, we must focus on more than just medical care. That’s because about 50% of a person’s health outcomes are determined by their socioeconomic and physical environments. Often referred to as social determinants of health, these factors are influenced by where people are born, live and work. Examples include an individual’s quality of eduction, access to healthy foods, the safety of their neighborhood, available transportation and housing stability.
Community programs – Meeting people where they are
To improve health and wellness in all of the communities we serve, we’ve developed a full range of programs to address barriers to care and reach more people, especially those who are often overlooked or marginalized.
- Many of these programs are based on the reality that people are more likely to take an active role in their health care when it’s more convenient and delivered in a way that feels more relatable.
- We emphasize preventative care to reduce risk of chronic disease and encourage people to take an active role in their own physical and mental health.
- To help with any remaining gaps in support, our team of social workers can connect people to medical center programs or community resources to help with issues including, but not limited to:
- housing and transportation concerns
- legal needs
- substance abuse and treatment options
- domestic violence
- long-term care and rehabilitation
Featured program: The Healthy Community Center
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Healthy Community Center at 1600 E. Long St. on Columbus' Near East Side offers a variety of programs and services to improve the health and wellness of area residents.
Our goal is to break down the traditional walls of a hospital to take health care into the community with input from those who live in the neighborhood.
Other Community Programs
People are more likely to take an active role in their health care when it’s more convenient and delivered in a way that feels more relatable. As a leading academic health care center, we believe it’s our obligation to serve different types of patient populations – from those living in cities and suburbs to small towns and rural farm areas – and we’ve created programs to do just that.
Rural and State Health
Improving health care quality across the Ohio
National and Global Health
Better outcomes through destination medicine and partnerships
Mental and Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder
Compassionate, science-based treatment
Maternal and Infant Health
Reducing infant mortality and improving maternal and infant health
Access to Care
Going to where people live and work
Nutrition and Food Security
Better diets, better lives
Digital Health Equity
Connecting patients and providers
Promoting better health in Ohioans
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we’re proud to be a part of a leading public research university with a land-grant mission to serve the people of Ohio. This commitment to a healthier Ohio leads to breakthroughs and opportunities that also improve the health and well-being of people across the nation and world.
Promoting better health and well-being through research and innovation
Always on the leading edge of discovery, the Wexner Medical Center is continually evolving our approach research.In the past, medical research focused on narrow parts of the community, which has led to medical treatments that may not be as effective or appropriate for all.
At Ohio State, our goal is to expand the types of people included in our medical research and clinical trials, so our awareness, understanding and recommended treatment plans for every population can improve.
Promoting better health and well-being through education and training
Eliminating health care disparities requires an awareness of why and how they occur. Both the Ohio State University College of Medicine and The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center have formal education programs in place to help faculty, staff and learners uncover and address inequities in patient care, research, learning environments and the workplace.
- Health Equity Speaker Series — To extend our own internal equity training, the Office of Health Equity has established a Health Equity Speaker Series. These presentations are available to anyone, and we welcome and encourage their use with health care systems and medical schools across the nation.
- National Center for Integrated Behavioral Health — This initiative supports collaboration, training, research, science-based resources and intentional integration of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment into routine primary care.
Expanding access and improving how we deliver health care
The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center continually reviews and updates our systems and procedures to better serve patients and address specific needs of distinct populations.- Quality and safety – We continually evaluate and update procedures to improve outcomes for every population, and we share our measurements and report our performance to help the community and our own faculty and staff see where we excel and what we’re working to improve.
- More communication options and digital health equity – Ohio State offers different ways for people to connect to their providers, so they can choose what’s most convenient and comfortable for them. This includes more robust online tools, such as 24/7 MyChart messaging and MyChart Bedside, an ADA-accessible website, video visits and native language translation services.
- Financial counseling and assistance programs – We’re determined to help every person get the treatment and medications they need, even if they’re uninsured or underinsured.
- Regional facilities and specialized care – To minimize geographic gaps in care, we’ve added more Outpatient Care locations and specialized clinics throughout the central Ohio region.
- Partnerships to improve care and solve complex community health issues – Our formal partnerships with local providers across the state – like those that are part of the James Cancer Network, the Healthy State Alliance or the Ohio State Health Network – allow people to access Ohio State’s specialized care while continuing routine care closer to home. Collaboration and partnerships with other community and government organizations, have generated new programs to improve physical and mental health outcomes and develop health equity across communities. Partners include: