The first Community Health Centers in the United States were founded as a result of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, with the mission of providing accessible health care to all. Without the Civil Rights movement, Community Health Centers would not have the institutional strength and federal support needed to offer the health care services necessary to the health of our communities. Greater Seacoast Community Health recognizes that health-equity disparities for people of color continue to this day, and we consider it our obligation to work to address these inequalities and change the institutionalized systems that uphold them.
Racial injustice is a moral and public-health crisis. People of color experience more barriers in their access to health care, and consequently suffer from many chronic health issues at higher levels. From higher infant-mortality rates, to more frequent cases of obesity, heart disease, and lung disease (illnesses that contribute to the higher COVID19 mortality rates among Black Americans), people of color suffer disproportionately, often due to having a harder time receiving care.
Our vision is to provide everyone in our community the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. In order to achieve this, we must first acknowledge the discriminatory practices in our nation that oppress and ignore the needs of people of color. Greater Seacoast Community Health will advocate for changing unjust systems to create fair and just structures that truly respect and represent all.
