Ohio: Regional Disparities in Health Care Investments
The regional dynamics of opportunity are not just limited to education, housing or economic opportunities. Investment in health care is another arena where inequitable patterns of investment can be found in most metropolitan areas. This phenomenon creates additional public health problems for low income communities of color and may be expanding racial disparities in health. The Kirwan Institute is conducting research to identify disparities in spending and access to health care in major metropolitan areas. Currently this research is limited to Ohio but will expand to cover other states. The goal of this research is to raise awareness of this issue in our urban areas and encourage health care policy to produce more equitable investment. All communities should have access to health care services that are equitable and adequate to meet the community’s needs. Initial maps tracking hosptial investmetns, closures and race are included below.
MAPS
Hospital investments 1998 to 2003 (determined by Certificate of Need data from the State of Ohio), hospital closures 1980 to 2005 and the African American population.
