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Course Overview

This six-week online course is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of health and medical equity, emphasizing the importance of addressing health disparities through a holistic and integrated approach. The curriculum blends theoretical knowledge with practical skills, leveraging case studies, interactive workshops, and real-world applications to inspire creative solutions for advancing health equity. Participants will explore the socioeconomic factors influencing health outcomes, innovative strategies for promoting equitable healthcare access, and the role of policy and community engagement in mitigating health disparities.

Week 1: Foundations of Health Equity and Social Determinants

• Definitions: medical and health equity vs. health equality
• Historical and current health disparities across demographics and geographies
• Social determinants of health (SDOH)
• Introductory case studies to ground understanding

Week 2: Socioeconomic Drivers and Barriers to Equity

• Income, education, employment, and housing instability
• Insights from the “Poverty in the U.S.: 2023” report
• Food insecurity and geographic variation
• Discussion: Structural poverty and health outcomes

Week 3: Access, Infrastructure, and Healthcare Systems

• Rural vs. urban healthcare delivery challenges
• Insurance coverage, provider bias, and infrastructure inequity
• Role of technology (telehealth, data tools) in improving access
• Interactive workshop: Systemic barriers in case-based scenarios

Week 4: Policy, Advocacy, and Community Power

• Health policy’s role in equity: local, state, and federal case studies
• Community-based participatory approaches
• Advocacy strategies and community engagement best practices
• Legal frameworks and cross-sector collaborations

Week 5: Leadership for Systems Change

• Leadership skills: coalition building, communication, and stakeholder mapping
• Organizational culture and equity
• Developing equity champions in healthcare and policy
• Simulation: Leading change in a healthcare system

Week 6: Capstone Project and Strategic Implementation

• Students develop a personalized or organizational Health Equity Leadership Plan
• Includes needs assessment, intervention model, partnerships, and evaluation
• Peer review and feedback
• Final presentations and reflection

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Instructional Methods

• Weekly live webinars and discussions
• Peer learning and group collaboration
• Multimedia resources and curated readings
• Capstone project with real-world applications