October 2020
Dear Friends,
Earlier this year Parkland released its Community Health Needs Assessment that painted a striking, irrefutable picture of the health disparities that exist in Dallas County. Weeks later we watched as our vulnerable neighbors were targeted yet again, this time with mounting cases of COVID-19.
Years of social inequity and injustice – in healthcare and in almost every other facet of life – have brought us to a point of deep reflection and an understanding that we, as both a health system and a society, need to do more.
The health disparities that disproportionately affect Black residents in Dallas County are well-documented. For example:
Over the last 126 years Parkland’s mission – dedicated to the health and well-being of individuals and communities entrusted to our care – has served as our True North and continues to guide us today.
Parkland’s investment in community health centers, including our entry into the Red Bird and Jubilee Park neighborhoods, will provide vulnerable Dallas County residents access to the services they need to get healthy and stay healthy. And initiatives such as our new program to extend care for mothers after pregnancy will help save lives, and can serve as a model for addressing rising maternal mortality rates across our country.
Our success is contingent on all of us working together, as a community, to help our neighbors in all corners of Dallas County live a healthy and fulfilling life. Thank you for standing for Parkland.
Warm Regards,
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