2026 Pennsylvania Health Equity Summit

Political determinants of health encompass the structural conditions, policies, and institutions that directly shape health outcomes especially for historically marginalized communities who bear the consequences of political neglect and political violence. These determinants influence whether families have access to safe housing, green space, reliable transportation, quality education, and affordable healthy food, while also dictating exposure to harmful conditions such as environmental toxins, food deserts, and unsafe neighborhoods. Policies and politics are not neutral; they play a defining role in determining whose communities thrive and whose struggle against inequities. These differences are visible statewide, nationally, and globally underscoring the reality that health equity is inseparable from political decision-making. 

Clinical practice is continuously evolving to meet the diverse and changing needs of our communities. Yet, achieving equity in clinical care presents unique challenges from addressing disparities in health care quality and outcomes to overcoming barriers such as affordability, provider shortages, transportation, and access to essential resources. This session will spotlight innovative approaches and best practices from leading clinical experts who are advancing equity in real-world settings. Together, we will explore how clinical innovations are breaking down barriers, reducing disparities, and shaping a more inclusive and equitable health care system. 

Rural health refers to the health of people who live in rural areas. People in rural areas tend to have reduced access to health care services, providers, and facilities compared to those in urban or suburban areas. Advocacy work in rural health focuses on addressing barriers to care that rural populations face such as geographic isolation, lack of insurance coverage, limited health care providers, and transportation challenges. It’s important that we advocate and promote the improvement of services and health outcomes to meet the unique needs of this population. 

Missing Perspectives explores who is “missing from the room”—and why—when creating public health partnerships. Currently, the evolving landscape of public health challenges such as policy, funding, and health inequities require health experts and our communities at large to creatively collaborate and pursue nontraditional domains when identifying public health partners. Inviting new perspectives to address these challenges drive innovation and amplify community engagement. From public libraries and school districts to local businesses and corporate philanthropies, these allies typically have shared goals with public health industries and organizations. For example, fostering partnership with local libraries in geographically diverse, low socioeconomic, or diverse racial/ethnic minority areas to offer free home radon testing kits to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer expands access to preventive care in a nontraditional public health setting.  

Behavioral health combines both the actions and psychological state that affect one’s emotional, mental, and social well-being. It commonly encompasses mental health and substance use, which are significant comorbidities. Additionally, behavioral health considers other habits, patterns, and lifestyle choices that affect one’s health. Sleep hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, and coping mechanisms are all examples of behavioral health components that should be considered when evaluating health. Integrating behavioral health services into care can be highly beneficial and lead to better outcomes overall, but barriers such as stigma, cost, policy, and staff shortages can withhold individuals from receiving the benefits of behavioral health care.  

Housing refers to the concept that everyone has fair access to housing that is safe, affordable, stable, and high-quality, recognizing that a home’s condition and environment impact residents’ physical, mental, and social well-being. It also recognizes that poor housing quality (e.g., mold or lead) and neighborhood conditions (e.g., exposure to pollution or lack of walkability) affect health outcomes. Achieving housing health equity involves collaborating with communities, addressing systemic factors, and developing housing policies to promote healthy environments for all.

Involving People with Disabilities (PWD) in decision-making means actively including them in planning and policy at all levels to ensure health services are accessible, affordable, tailored, and nondiscriminatory. By incorporating PWD’s inputs in decision-making, whether that be facility design, emergency preparedness, or other crucial areas, we can work to address the systemic barriers and biases that create health disparities. 

Youth Health Equity is the principle that every young person should have the opportunity to achieve their highest level of health and well-being, regardless of social circumstances like income, race, or zip code. Achieving this requires removing systemic inequities (e.g., lack of transportation or food insecurity) and providing targeted support. Key strategies involve increasing health care access, especially in schools, and addressing the social determinants of health to eliminate disparities. Youth need to be part of the discussion as it relates to the public health issues plaguing their communities and can provide unique insight into solution building ideas. 

Data: Advancing health outcomes and equity requires collecting and analyzing comprehensive data that integrates sociodemographic factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender) with clinical and community-level information, including the social determinants of health. This integrated approach helps identify disparities, uncover root causes, tailor effective interventions, and inform policies to remove barriers. Ultimately, using data in this way enables us to dismantle systemic inequities and create more equitable health care systems.

Chronic disease disproportionately impacts underserved communities. Achieving health equity means ensuring all people have the necessary resources and support to prevent, manage, and recover from these conditions, free from systemic barriers like lack of access to quality housing and health care. Diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Hypertension are just some of many that underserved communities experience in comparison to others. Addressing these unique disparities requires innovative and equity-driven solutions (e.g., including community engagement, collaborative care, and policy change) to overcome access barriers and implement tailored and data-informed interventions.