Health Equity is Economic Opportunity
When I practiced just medicine in Mexico, I thought that treating the illness was the entirety of the picture. Little did I know that true health cannot be achieved with prescriptions alone, it requires attention to many variables including safe housing, economic stability, education, and genuine collaboration between government and communities. A holistic approach was needed to understand the intersection across these sectors and how, together, they determine the overall wellbeing of an individual.
Today, as Head of Health Equity and Economic Opportunity at the Latino Economic Development Council (LEDC), my work is guided by this belief: a healthy community is one that thrives economically, socially, and culturally.
The Latino community, immigrants, and refugees in Omaha are too often left out of the decisions that shape housing, transportation, and access to opportunity. These are not side issues to health, they are health.
When families live in safe, affordable housing, they breathe easier, literally and figuratively.
When young people have access to mentorship and civic leadership, they see themselves as part of the system, not outside of it.
When small businesses can grow and create jobs, communities flourish with dignity and pride.
My work over the past months has been about connecting these dots, ensuring that health equity and economic opportunity are not siloed conversations, but part of one shared vision for thriving communities. LEDC is not only supporting Latino voices at decision-making tables, but also positioning those voices as leaders in designing solutions for Omaha’s future.
The truth is, no single organization can build equity alone. If we want healthier communities, we must also build fairer economies. If we want thriving families, we must also ensure inclusive development.
This is where we all come in. Whether you are a policymaker, business leader, educator, or neighbor, your role matters. Together, we can reimagine health not just as the absence of illness, but as the presence of opportunity, justice, and belonging.
Let’s work together to make health equity inseparable from economic opportunity.
Dr. Arturo Aceves
