SCIII leads the way with tackling healthcare disparities in UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

BY GWYNTH NELSON

Healthcare disparities in the United States remain a significant issue, more than 60 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. highlighted the gap between those who can access and afford quality healthcare and those who cannot. Despite some progress, many challenges persist in ensuring that all Americans, regardless of race or gender socioeconomic status, can access the care they need. The road to equitable healthcare for all is still long, but the work being done in communities and institutions across the country is helping bridge the divide.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes that although non-Hispanic Blacks are the second-largest minority group in the United States, according to U.S. Census data, the projected life expectancy and causes of death faced throughout this racial Research has shown that CHCs improve access to high- quality primary care for at-risk populations while decreasing hospitalization rates in the states and counties they serve group’s lifetime are daunting when compared to their non-Hispanic white men and women counterparts.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure and cancer are prevalent among African American communities. Additionally, maternal and infant health issues, exacerbated by the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to affect families in these communities.

Limited access to nutritious food in food deserts—areas where fresh food is scarce—often in low income urban neighborhoods, adds to these health challenges. Rural areas, particularly those with large populations of people of color, also face a lack of adequate healthcare facilities and services. As a result, many children and families living in these medically underserved regions face poor health outcomes. The underinsured and uninsured, along with changes to Medicare and Medicaid systems across the nation, only add more pressure on an already fragile healthcare system, pushing it to a breaking point.

Despite these challenges, persistence and perseverance have been central to the African American experience, particularly when it comes to healthcare. From the post-emancipation era to the Jim Crow period and the civil rights movement, African American communities have fought to establish and maintain healthcare systems that serve their populations. Community healthcare systems played a critical role, offering direct care to families while training African Americans to become skilled doctors and nurses who could serve their own communities. Throughout history, community health workers have remained vital in providing essential healthcare services to underserved populations, continuing their mission of delivering primary care and health education to those often excluded from these resources.

In 2017, the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, published by the National Institutes of Health, discussed the role of community health centers (CHCs) in reducing racial disparities in healthcare access. According to the article, federally funded CHCs operate in medically underserved areas or near populations with limited access to care. Research has shown that CHCs improve access to high-quality primary care for atrisk populations while decreasing hospitalization rates in the states and counties they serve. Furthermore, states with a higher number of CHCs have lower racial disparities in health outcomes.

Efforts to reduce health disparities are also taking place in South Carolina, where the South Carolina Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII), through several of its institutes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUS), is making strides toward improving health equity and working to address health disparities by providing health education, resources, training and access to both campus communities and the surrounding areas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diseases disproportionately affecting communities of color, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic liver disease, are among the leading causes of death. Early education and intervention to address these preventable diseases are central to the work being done by SCIII’s institutes.

Specifically, Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina, stands as a critical asset to the community and beyond. When SCIII considered the focus of its new institute on the university’s campus, leadership recognized that improving the quality of life for the community was essential. In 2022, the Rural Community Development Institute (RCD) was established, with a focus on creating sustainable initiatives that improve the socioeconomic well-being of students, faculty, staff and surrounding rural communities.

The institute focuses on four main pillars: enhancing local school systems, fostering workforce and economic development, improving rural healthcare and conducting research. Its healthcare outreach programs have included workshops on health screenings, sickle cell testing, HIV/AIDS education and community health worker training.

Grants from organizations such as the Black AIDS Institute, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women and the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare at the University of South Carolina (SCRPH) help fuel this important work. In particular, a grant received in 2024 from SCRPH has enabled Voorhees University to provide students with exposure to health equity issues, offer healthcare leadership training and contribute to the development of a medical pipeline. This initiative is also helping create a comprehensive needs assessment that empowers both students and community stakeholders to engage more effectively with the healthcare system.

In 2024, four Voorhees University Student Health Ambassadors participated in Community Health Worker training through the University of South Carolina’s CHHA Community Health Worker Core Competency Training Program. This training equips students with the skills they need to serve both the university and the surrounding communities in this essential role. These efforts ensure that more individuals in rural and underserved areas have access to health resources and education, helping to close the gap in healthcare disparities.

As we continue to face the challenges of healthcare inequality, the work being done by organizations like SCIII and community-based programs at institutions, such as Voorhees University, offers a beacon of hope. Addressing healthcare disparities will take a sustained, multi-faceted effort. By focusing on education, access, early intervention and community-driven initiatives, we can begin to make significant strides toward achieving health equity. Through these collective efforts, we can ensure that all individuals, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status, have access to the care and resources they need to lead healthy lives.

For more information on SCIII and its seven campus institutes, please visit www.sciii.net.

Gwynth Nelson, Ph.D., is the executive director for South Carolina Institutes of Innovation and Information (SCIII). SCIII is an initiative inspired by the late Sen. John L. Scott, Jr. that focuses on revolutionizing and cultivating South Carolina’s seven four-year HBCUs' overall capabilities and contributions for the citizens and residents of the state.