St. Joseph County is trying to address systemic racism

 

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- St.. Joseph County is trying to address systemic racism, making it a public health crisis.

The County Board of Health passed a resolution yesterday.

The board of health stated that racism impacts several aspects of public life which include housing, income, education, and much more.

Those impacts work together to affect patient outcomes, and the Health Department wants to do something about it, according to experts.

"We can look more closely at each of these health disparities and outcomes and examine where is race playing a role? How is race playing a role? What are some of the best practices that have been adopted perhaps in other states or countries to address these issues that we could adopt here," said Robert Einterz, MD Health Officer, St. Joseph County Department of Health.

Einterz and his team will be working with community partners to figure out where to start addressing the issues.