Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for the Skoll Foundation, Alexandra Quinn and Zachary Slobig explain how, with the help of the Stories of Change initiative, Health Leads was able to produce a short film addressing the realities of health disparities in America. 

· What are some of the barriers preventing equal access to healthcare in America? What can be done to break these barriers and eliminate health disparities? 

· Read more about health disparities and the barriers preventing equitable healthcare in the US. 

Those without enough income to keep the heat on and food in the fridge are more likely to get sick than those with sufficient resources to meet these essential needs. Seems obvious, right? The healthcare sector though has been historically slow to account for the social and economic reasons for diminished health. Meanwhile, the most marginalized remain trapped in a cycle of sickness.

Health Leads (2011 SASE) worked for over two decades to connect people with essential resources like food, housing, and transportation alongside traditional medical care. In addition, they work both locally and nationally to break down these systemic barriers to health. That’s a challenging story to tell.

With the help of the Stories of Change initiative, a partnership between the Skoll Foundation and the Sundance Institute, Health Leads worked with Emmy-award winning filmmaker Nicole Newnham and Jenni Heywood on What Counts, a short documentary film that shows the on-the-ground reality of health disparities across several urban communities in the US, and features the healthcare leaders who are addressing the root causes. We caught up with Alex Quinn, CEO of Health Leads, to find out more about the project and what more needs to be done to build a health system that works for everyone.

Read the full article about storytelling health disparities by Alexandra Quinn and Zachary Slobig at the Skoll Foundation.