Hope unites us and can be the catalyst for powerful, positive change – both personal and communal. Building on the momentum of our Year of Kindness, SSM Health introduced the Year of Hope to inspire team members, providers, and those around us to spread good news throughout our health ministry and communities. To face our challenges with faith and optimism, the Year of Hope offers us moments to pause, reflect, and connect with our purpose while looking forward to the future with expectation.
This month we turn our focus on hope for health equity for all.
SSM Health’s rich legacy is rooted in a commitment to ensuring all people – especially those most in need – receive high-quality, compassionate care. It is in this spirit that we continue to address the underlying causes of health disparities through a comprehensive, integrated approach to community health. This includes incorporating screening for social determinants of health into routine patient care encounters. Our electronic referral management platform is embedded in Epic patient records, so we can connect our patients, their providers, and community-based support organizations to meet such needs as food insecurity, access to safe housing, transportation, and more.
When we work with others to improve those conditions, we bring hope and compassion – and God’s healing presence –ensuring that all people have the appropriate resources and connections to live a healthier life.
Let’s take a few moments to pause in prayer, self-reflect, and take action. Our journey of hope continues:
I have hope for health equity for all
Reflection
“The essence of global health equity is the idea that something so precious as health might be viewed as a right.”
—Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, American medical anthropologist and physician
Lord
You call us to be aware of the chasm in health care today, the disparity in care that results in worse outcomes for persons who are made vulnerable because they are unjustly kept outside the mainstream of community life. You call us to act for justice. You call us to bring comfort and healing to those who do not sit at the table today. You call us to advocate for persons on the margins of society, and to promote and defend human dignity.
Committed to the beliefs that every person is a treasure, every life a sacred gift, bless our work to diminish the chasm of disparity and bring about greater justice and equity in health care. Bless our work and all those in our community who need our care. We ask this in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Self-reflective question
- How can you increase your knowledge about health inequities that your local community faces?
Cultivating Hope
- Discover ways you can make a difference in your community – whether it’s donating clothing or volunteering to serve meals – take action.
- Engage your family and friends and learn about ways to impact the health of your community, together.
New to the Year of Hope Challenge? Take a look back at our focus on Hope for Social Justice and Hope for the New Year.
