The recession has highlighted significant economic disparities among America's classes – an imbalance that includes access to comprehensive health care. Census estimates released this year, based on the American Community Survey five year estimates (2005-2009), found that 37 percent of families living in East Cleveland lived below the poverty level – that figure is up five percent from the 2000 census data. A 2003 report from the Ohio Department of Health found that 25 percent of Cuyahoga County residents were obese while approximately 1.3 million Ohioans are without health insurance. The statistics represent a grim forecast for future generations, though healthcare providers and city leaders in one Cleveland neighborhood are being proactive.
In an effort to promote a healthy future for East Cleveland youth, the Cleveland Clinic, the City of East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a collection of local health and social service agencies are launching the East Cleveland Teen Collaborative. The partnership is funded by a $750,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation, a $3.1 billion private, national foundation headquartered in Troy, Detroit, that "seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through support of nonprofit organizations focused on health, the environment, community development, arts and culture, education and human services." The Teen Collaborative plans to address the "social determinants of health" impacting adolescents in East Cleveland, including violence and a lack of community connectivity. Specifically, the collaborative will focus on providing opportunities to enhance teens' physical activity, health literacy, participation in volunteer and extracurricular activities, and summertime employment.
"Together, with the support of the Kresge Foundation, the dedicated members of the East Cleveland community and Cleveland Clinic are focused on addressing the issues impacting the health of our youth," says Kate Fox Nagel, senior director of the Cleveland Clinic's department of public health and research. "We hope to focus on the critical needs of the community and create a roadmap to a healthier future."
The Kresge Foundation awarded a $75,000 planning grant in January 2010, when the Cleveland Clinic engaged a community-based work group and surveyed more than 300 East Cleveland citizens, gathering firsthand information to better understand the community's social, environmental and physical needs. Continued on page two...
