Getting in the Zone--the Health Enterprise Zone

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HealthEnterpriseZones-0128.mp3

January 28, 2013

Where you live can be one of the biggest predictors of how healthy you are, what diseases you’ll get, and ultimately, how long you’ll live.  For example, people who reside in the Roland Park neighborhood (83 years) in north Baltimore live, on average, seven years longer than those who live Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore (76 years), and 20 years longer than those who live in the Upton neighborhood in west Baltimore (63 years).

The state of Maryland is attempting to lessen these disparities with the introduction of what are called “health enterprise zones.” It’s a $4 million dollar initiative to bring health services to areas where the needs are the worst.  Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown announced last week that the five zones will be in west Baltimore, Annapolis, Capitol Heights in Prince George's County, Greater Lexington Park in St. Mary's County, and in Dorchester and Caroline Counties on the Eastern Shore.

Sheilah talks with Sandra Wilson, a program manager for health education community outreach with the Dorchester County Health Department, and Thomas LaVeist, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, and a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.