Health Equity

The Southern Nevada Health District and its Health Equity Program are committed to eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity in our community. The program builds upon the Health District’s current partnerships with various community organizations and pursues connections with additional ones.

Mission

To work in collaboration between Health District programs and community-based organizations to reduce disparities in health care access and service delivery to underserved populations using health equity strategies, increasing access to essential services, providing education, and conducting community outreach.

What is Health Equity?

Health equity is the state in which everyone has the opportunity to attain full health potential, and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or any other socially defined circumstance.

Health is For Everyone

Health equity means everyone has the opportunity to attain full health potential, and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or any other socially-defined circumstance like race, income, gender identification, or physical ability.

The Southern Nevada Health District and its Health Equity Program are committed to eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity in our community. This guide contains some of our programs designed to make sure you have fair and equitable access to your full health potential.

Pathway to a Healthy Community: Health Equity REsource Guide

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Brain Health Initiative

Millions of Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. As the U.S. population age 65 and older continues to grow, the number of people affect by Alzheimer’s or related dementias is expected to increase. In response, local health departments across the country are developing programs to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.

The Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) is a national partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alzheimer’s Association focused on improving public health and reducing the risk and impact of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

The HBI Road Map provides a framework for public health professionals to integrate cognitive health into their work, focusing on risk reduction, early detection, and equitable dementia care. The initiative also aims to strengthen public health system capacity and knowledge, particularly in underserved communities, and promotes brain health across the lifespan—from early childhood through older adulthood.

Dementia Risk Reduction Community Collaborative Workgroup

The Southern Nevada Health District, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association and a broad network of community organizations, launched an initiative to strengthen brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Guided by the Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Road Map (2023-2027), this effort focuses on reducing modifiable risk factors and advancing brain health promotion throughout Southern Nevada.

Key areas of focus include:

Reducing risk for cognitive decline
Increasing early detection and diagnosis of dementia
Improving the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Access the detailed report and community action plan here.

The Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map Strategists Program

The Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Strategists Program builds the capacity of local health departments and their community partners to address dementia. The program advances population-level health approaches by establishing relationships or strengthening existing partnerships between organization and key community leaders and partners.

Questions?

For questions or to learn more about these programs email healthequity1@snhd.org. Please include your full name and contact information in your message.

Health Equity Trainings

Introduction to Health Equity

“Bridging the Gap: A Journey to Health Equity”

Imagine a community where every person, no matter their background, has the chance to live a long, healthy life. In this workshop, we’ll take you on a journey through the concept of health equity, what it means, why it matters, and how it shapes the lives of people in your community. We’ll uncover the hidden causes of health disparities, from economic barriers to systemic inequalities, and how these challenges affect people in different ways. Through storytelling and real-world examples, we’ll explore the impact of these inequities and discuss how we can all work together to create a healthier, fairer world for everyone.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

Define and explain the concepts of health equity and health disparity
Analyze how specific factors (determinants) contribute to health disparities
Analyze how the environment and personal health are interrelated
Identify groups that are most affected by health disparities
Evaluate how health disparities impact people in the local community (school, town, etc.)

* Training is available in English and Spanish

Introduction to Implicit Bias

“Uncovering Hidden Bias: Understanding Implicit Bias in Our Lives”

Have you ever found yourself reacting to someone or something in a way you didn’t expect, or realizing later that your actions may have been influenced by factors you weren’t fully aware of? In this workshop, we’ll take you on a journey to uncover the subtle, unconscious biases we all carry—biases shaped by our upbringing, experiences, and the world around us. Through stories and real-life examples, we’ll explore how implicit bias affects our thoughts, decisions, and interactions with others. Together, we’ll learn how to recognize and challenge these biases, so we can create more inclusive, understanding, and equitable environments in both our work and communities.

Learning objectives:

Participants will:

Define and Explain the concept Implicit Bias
Understand the impact of Implicit Bias
Recognize common implicit biases
Take action to manage and reduce Implicit Bias

* Training is available in English and Spanish

Introduction to Personal Health Literacy

“Empowering Health Choices: Understanding Personal Health Literacy”

Imagine trying to navigate a doctor’s visit, but feeling unsure about medical advice, forms, or prescriptions. In this workshop, we’ll dive into personal health literacy the ability to find, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions. We’ll explore key skills like reading medical documents, communicating with healthcare providers, and using health technology.

Through stories and practical examples, we’ll show how improving health literacy can empower you to take control of your own health and make choices that reflect your values and goals.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

Define and explain personal health literacy
Identify the different factors that influence health literacy on a personal level
Gain introductory understanding of organizational health literacy
Learn how to identify sources of health news

Introduction to Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) Programs and Services

“Beyond Health Cards: Unlocking the Full Potential of SNHD Services”

Imagine walking into your local community health center and discovering that it’s so much more than a place to get a health card. It’s a hub for essential health services that support your wellbeing! In this workshop, we’ll take you behind the scenes of the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) to explore the many programs and services that often go unnoticed. While many people think of us only for health cards, we’re involved in so much more from immunizations and environmental health to community partnerships and various public health initiatives. We’ll show you how SNHD collaborates with local organizations to build a healthier, thriving community for everyone.

Join us to learn about the resources available to you and how we’re working together to improve health across Southern Nevada.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

Establish an understanding of primary care programs at the Health District
Identify how to access Health District programs via websites or direct phone number
Establish understanding of community outreach request portal and form
Identify Health District clinic locations and hours of operation

Introduction to Social Determinants of Health

“Building Health from the Ground Up: Understanding Social Determinants of Health”

Imagine a world where you live, work, and play shapes your health. In this workshop, we’ll explore how social factors like housing, education, and access to resources impact the health of individuals and communities. Through stories and real-life examples, we’ll uncover the challenges these determinants create and discuss how we can all contribute to building healthier, more equitable environments. Together, we’ll learn how to make a difference and ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a healthier life.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

Define and give examples of health, community, and social determinants of health
Recognize how individual health and community are related
Identify how different factors influence personal and community health

* Training is available in English and Spanish

Health Equity Resources

Health Equity Resource Library

Health Equity Worksite Checklist

Podcasts

The Health Equity Program at the Southern Nevada Health District releases a periodic Podcast, Health Equity Chats, or Charlas de Equidad en Salud, to empower marginalized communities by providing awareness and education about health topics related to health equity via audio/video podcast.

Each episode highlights a health equity topic and/or features a guest or special program to provide community members with tools and education to help minimize health inequities. By partnering with community organizations and SNHD program leaders, the platform will help advance health equity and increase access to health care services.

Episodes

Health Equity Chats – The Just One Project (Released 05/07/2025)

Health Equity Chats – National Minority Health Month (Released 04/21/2025)

Health Equity Chats – Diversity and Equity in Wellness (Released 02/24/2025)

Charlas de Equidad en Salud – Platicas de Salud (Released 10/03/2024)

Health Equity Chats – Minority Mental Health Month (Released 07/08/2024)

Entrevista con Fiesta 98.1 FM (aired 11/20/2023)

Charlas de Equidad en Salud – Hispanic Heritage Month (Released 10/25/2023)

Online Resources

Links

10 Essential Public Health Services

Healthy People 2030

Healthy Southern Nevada

Local Resource Guide

Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity – CDC, WHO

Videos

Community Partners

The Health District’s Health Equity program is grateful to work alongside community organizations to support communities most impacted by COVID-19 and other health inequities. Our partners work diligently to provide services, education, and other resources to a multitude of populations in Southern Nevada, including:

Hispanic/Latinx
Black/African American
Asian/Pacific Islander
People experiencing homelessness

LGBTQ community
Members of Islamic community
Immigrants and refugees
Seniors 65+

Low to moderate income households
Medically underserved
People with disabilities

Our partners are well vested in the communities they serve and are trusted to be a resource for underserved populations. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has been the concentration of our collaboration; providing education, testing opportunities, and improving vaccine equity, the collective goals of our partnerships are focused on increasing overall access to health and closing the gap between health disparities and those underserved populations.