Guest Commentary
Coronavirus makes disparities between Wyandotte, Johnson counties even more stark
Recently, The Kansas City Star Editorial Board wrote about the vast inequity we are currently seeing in Wyandotte County, and specifically communities of color, related to the coronavirus pandemic. In reality, though, this isn’t a problem the virus has created — it’s an injustice the virus is shining a bright light on.
By now, the statistics are well known. In the state of Kansas, Wyandotte County ranks near the bottom in terms of health outcomes. Johnson County ranks near the top. Health outcomes aren’t simply about the number and quality of health care providers in a community. They are ultimately issues of access and opportunity.
There’s a little-known data point that speaks volumes about the disconnect between Wyandotte and Johnson counties. Look at the average weekly wage per county in Kansas. Wyandotte County ranks second in the entire state. You read that right: The second-highest paying jobs in the state are in Wyandotte County. Now look at median household income by county. Wyandotte is third from the bottom. It would be hard to find another community in the entire United States that shows a more dramatic difference.
Health is a poverty issue. And poverty is an issue of race.
In Kansas, 28% of African Americans, 22% of Hispanics and 16% of Native Americans live in poverty, while the rate is just 9% among the white population. In Wyandotte County, just over half the population is minority, and the county has an extremely high rate of poverty.
It would be easy to say this is a county problem and those in other communities don’t need to be concerned. But that would be missing the point. Our neighbors’ health is directly tied to our own health. We are all intimately connected.
The negative impact of the historic disinvestment in communities of color starts to become very clear. During this pandemic, that disinvestment plays out in multiple ways.
Many Wyandotte County residents don’t have the option of working from home. They work in hourly jobs, many deemed “essential,” requiring them to be at risk every day. Higher risk equates to higher levels of infection, and — perhaps more important — high numbers of asymptomatic carriers, who can pass the virus on to others.
The supply of testing has been woefully short across the country. The difference is stark between Wyandotte and Johnson counties. Johnson County has invested $400,000 in testing, while Wyandotte has invested $50,000.
All this means residents of Wyandotte County are at a much greater risk of dying from COVID-19. When part of our community is at greater risk, so are all of us. Taking better care of our neighbors with the least access and opportunity improves everyone’s life.
There are a few things we can do to alleviate the health outcome disparities that ultimately affect us all:
▪ Medicaid expansion is the single most impactful thing we can do — in both Kansas and Missouri — to change people’s lives. Study after study has proven this to be true. It is beyond time for both states to get this done.
▪ We should invest in public health. State guidelines on reopening emphasize the need for increased testing and case tracking. This means counties need to invest more in public health departments to appropriately staff and equip their teams to do critical work fighting COVID-19, in addition to addressing ongoing public health issues. Local governments can’t afford this alone. We need states, the federal government and private philanthropy to be engaged.
▪ Insurance companies need to expand their plans to include support for services related to food insecurity and housing to address underlying risks to vulnerable communities. And employers need to study these issues and understand how they affect their workforce, as so many people receive their health care via their jobs.
▪ We must do all we can to keep people from losing their homes: Freeze and forgive rent and mortgage payments, while supporting property owners with federal and state assistance.
▪ Make investments in universal pre-K education. The research is clear: Pre-K gives more parents the opportunity to pursue work, and it gives children the chance to begin school on track with their peers. Universal pre-K is an anti-poverty program — therefore, it is a positive for public health.
We live in the richest country in the world. It also happens to be richly diverse. In 2020, a global pandemic is highlighting the injustices that remain for many communities in this great country. It also gives us the opportunity to build a new normal that aims to create a true land of opportunity for all.
Patrick Sallee is CEO of Vibrant Health, a nonprofit health clinic in Kansas City, Kansas.
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