Health as a Social Construct - Richelle Webb Dixon
Richelle Webb Dixon, a passionate healthcare leader, explains the connection between social institutions and health. As the COO and Senior Vice President at Froedtert Hospital, she was panelist on “The Healthy Community Conversation.” If an individual does not have access to the right resources to heal, they cannot maintain their wellbeing. The social institutions instated in America suppress people of color which then puts them in situations that are not optimal for health or recovery. It is something that has been made apparent today as communities of color are the most affected from COVID-19.
“From a health system perspective, we see people when they are sick. However, we know when we treat the physical element, there is much more going on. Once they are discharged, do they have a home to go to with healthy food and transportation?
“There are so many social constructs that you need for a person to be healthy. That is what we talk about when we mention ‘the social extremities of health.’ From a healthcare perspective, it is one thing to treat the ailment but another to treat the person to have better health. We aim to solve that, so that we can increase the health of our city.”
