The Cronkite School’s Southwest Health Reporting Initiative has launched a new monthly health newsletter that aims to start a conversation about — and spread awareness of — health disparities in underserved communities.
The first issue of “Pathways to Equity” was released this week with the goal of helping the Southwest Health Reporting Initiative expand its reach and access to its content.
“The idea with the newsletter is we just want to reach an even broader audience with our content,” said Pauline Arrillaga, director of the health initiative. “What could we talk about that could resonate with health care leaders, organizations, advocates and policymakers? How can we bring something new to that particular conversation?”
The free newsletter was created and designed by former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation fellows Gianluca D’Elia, Daja Henry, Franco LaTona and Katie Sypher. Work started in Fall 2019, but the launch was pushed back after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in Spring 2020.
The subscription for the newsletter can be found here: https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/daily-newsletter-signup/health-newsletter/
The first issue focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Native American communities. The stories include the battle against food and water insecurity, how students have adjusted to new online learning environments and the fight to keep Navajo culture alive.
“A huge emphasis for us has been the Native American community, being here in Arizona with so many Indigenous communities around the state,” said Arrillaga. ”We wanted to really spotlight some of the grassroots efforts and people on the ground who were working to try to help.”
The Southwest Health Reporting Initiative is a program that is made possible through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help produce comprehensive coverage of health issues in the Southwest region.