Health is Wealth: Reversing the Past, Investing in Our Future
Pictured: Dr. Arturo Aceves Gonzalez, Ashley Carroll, MPH, Andrea Skolkin, MPA Lindsay Huse, MPH, DNP, RN and Armando De Alba Rosales, MD, MPH, PhD
Transformational change does not happen by accident. It requires intentional, directed investment.
On April 25th, our community gathered for the Inaugural State of the Latino Community convening. It was a privilege to see leaders from across diverse industries come together to understand the realities of our neighborhoods and map out actionable solutions to generate real healthcare access.
We opened the convening by honoring Anayeli Martinez Real and Cristián Doña-Reveco for their immense contributions to our city and state. Their continuous leadership and the representation they provide simply by doing what they love is a profound inspiration to us all. Latino Excellence shines brightest when passion meets purpose, and they embody exactly that.
Additionally, we celebrated the culmination of our very first Youth Activators Cohort. Recognizing these young leaders with their certificates is exactly why we do this work. A special thank you to our Mayor, who continuously shows up for our community, for taking the time to celebrate and photograph this milestone with our youth. When our future leaders are seen and supported at the highest levels of local government, we all win.
Throughout the summit, our discussions were grounded in a fundamental truth: Health is Wealth. To build that wealth, we must confront our history. We tackled the reality of de jure segregation and redlining in Omaha, moving past the myth that our disparities are just "societal." We addressed the urgent crisis of the Omaha Lead Superfund site and our collective duty to ensure every child, especially those under seven, is safe from irreversible neuro-cognitive damage.
But most importantly, we focused on solutions to drive systemic access:
Reclaiming Space: Revitalizing Plaza de la Raza into a vibrant, culturally relevant space where we don't just acknowledge our roots, but boldly celebrate them. This is an intentional investment in the heart of our community to encourage physical activity and lower chronic conditions.
Legislative Advocacy: Championing LB 1212 to utilize internationally trained physicians under licensed supervision, generating immediate medical access for rural Nebraska and expanding residency slots right here in Omaha.
Meeting People Where They Are: We are removing clinical friction by bringing healthcare directly to trusted cultural celebrations, deploying access through Health Fairs at Casa de La Cultura’s Cinco de Mayo and Fiestas Patrias, and Omaha Refugee Task Force’s upcoming World Refugee Day on June 20th.
Our expert panel drove home that lasting change requires a deeply holistic approach. The consensus was clear: culturally competent curricula and staff must be prioritized to ensure our community’s education is at the forefront, never an afterthought. When we address the social determinants of health and the built environment, we make comprehensive healthcare access a reality.
Community wealth isn't just economic, it's measured in the health, access, and environments of our people.
If you missed this powerful conversation, the work continues, and we need your voice at the table. Save the Date for our next Summit on August 29th. Let’s continue to reverse the policies of yesterday to ensure everyone thrives today!
