Primary Submission Category: Health equity
Collaborative Pathways to Health Justice: Lessons from Houston’s Health Equity in Action Summit
Authors: Himika Rahman, Esperanza Galvan, Chethan Bachireddy,
Presenting Author: Himika Rahman*
Houston, Texas experiences substantial health inequities demonstrated by the stark 20-year gap in life expectancy between neighborhoods separated by just a few miles. These disparities, which stem from historical discrimination and structural barriers to healthcare access, are both unjust and preventable. In response, The Harris Health Sheila Jackson Lee Center for Accelerating Health Equity (CArE) hosted the inaugural Health Equity in Action Summit in February 2025 to bring together diverse stakeholders to co-create meaningful solutions through authentic community engagement. CArE serves as Harris Health’s central hub for coordinating and accelerating health equity initiatives, with an initial focus on addressing disparities in heart health through building trust, developing data insights, disrupting drivers of inequities, advocating for change, and fostering sustainable partnerships.
The Summit convened over 120 participants from across Houston’s diverse neighborhoods, strategically recruiting a balanced mix of health system and community leaders. The event featured multiple engagement formats: panel presentations pairing health system and community leaders to showcase successful partnerships; an interactive poster session highlighting innovative equity initiatives; a ceremony honoring health equity champions; and structured networking opportunities.
Qualitative analysis of participant feedback revealed four key themes: 1) community-centered approaches addressing health-related social needs, 2) structural interventions dismantling geographic barriers to care, 3) sustainable accountability mechanisms ensuring ongoing community participation, and 4) centering marginalized voices through intentional representation and power-sharing in program design.
The Summit represents a significant innovation in health equity work and a replicable framework for creating a structured space for co-creation between a major safety-net health system and the community it serves.