There are many factors that influence the health of the vulnerable and marginalized populations. So many that I cannot possibly name all of them in this post. The ones that come to the front of my mind are the elderly, children who are in the “system”, and access to health insurance. People who cannot find jobs that provide them with the opportunity to have access to health insurance or the elderly/early elderly people who are on the cusp of Medicare and Medicaid. There are many factors that go into this but just in the way that we are all raised and brought up in this world sets you up for the person you will become and the opportunities you have. I feel that it also has to do a lot with your personality, there are people who are born into very privileged homes and come into adulthood with inadequate drive and skills to be a successful adult and then there are those who are thought to have no chance at surviving this world and have the most beautiful success stories. Because of this wide range I feel that it is hard to pinpoint very specific ideas as there are so many. Job opportunities, money, support systems, and upbringing are the ones that come to my mind first. 

I do not feel that we will ever be able to solve healthcare disparities as this is what makes the world go around. However, I do think that there are always ways to improve. It can be as simple as recruiting and helping people find jobs that provide health insurance. Education is huge and starts young, creating a health conscience vision that our younger population will understand and buy into will make a huge difference. Also providing support groups and systems, the first one that comes to my mind is for new first-time parents, both for moms and dads, it is a team sport. There are also ways that as healthcare providers we can help connect with our patients more by meeting them at their level and learning about where they come from and why they made the decisions they made to put them in the predicament that they are in today. There are so many ways to improve, and it is a revolving door but starting small and working our way up is the only way we can start. We can sit here and think about it and keep coming up with ideas but until people take initiative nothing will change. By taking initiative I don’t just mean the healthcare system workforce, I mean as a country as a whole, everyone needs to do their part in order to live a healthier lifestyle not just those who are providing the care.