On March 17, Dr. Anthony Iton presented on “New Approaches for Tackling the Root Causes of Health Inequity,” at an event in Wyandotte County hosted by Sunflower Foundation.

Dr. Iton's presentation addressed the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of place-based work to address health inequity.

WHY place-based work? Because when it comes to your health, your zip code is more important than your genetic code. Dr. Iton explored the strength of the relationship between life expectancy and neighborhood.

WHAT focuses on how place gets under the skin and changes our physiology. Dr. Iton also examined the components of the environment that shape health opportunity.

Finally Dr. Iton examined HOW framework, investment strategies, policies and systems can lead us to new approaches to place-based work to address health inequity.

Dr. Iton, MD, JD, MPH, is Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation whose mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.

Dr. Iton’s primary interest is the health of disadvantaged populations and the contributions of race, class, wealth, education, geography, and employment to health status. He has asserted that in every public health endeavor — be it immunizations, chronic disease, STDs, obesity, or even disaster preparedness — practitioners must recognize that they are confronted with the enduring consequences of structural poverty, institutional racism and other forms of systemic injustice.

Dr. Iton asserts that the only sustainable approach to eliminating health inequities is through intensive, multi-sectoral, place-based interventions that are specifically designed to identify existing assets and build social, political and economic power among a critical mass of community residents in historically under-resourced communities.

This presentation focuses on avenues for creating a culture of civil discourse in today’s polarized political environment, as well as the connection between citizen participation in the development of public policy and effective advocacy. Dr. Lukensmeyer will share key concepts from her 2012 book, “Bringing Citizen Voices to the Table: A Guide for Public Managers.”

Dr. Lukensmeyer is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, an organization that works to reduce political dysfunction and incivility in the political system. As a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, she works to “restore our democracy to reflect the intended vision of our founding fathers.” Previously, she served as Founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, a nonprofit organization that promoted nonpartisan initiatives to engage citizens and leaders through the development of innovative public policy tools and strategies. Dr. Lukensmeyer formerly served as Consultant to the White House Chief of Staff from 1993 to 1994 and on the National Performance Review, where she steered internal management and oversaw government-wide reforms. From 1986 to 1991, she served as Chief of Staff to Governor Richard F. Celeste of Ohio. She was both the first woman to serve in this capacity and, at the time of her appointment, the only Chief of Staff recruited from the professional management field. Dr. Lukensmeyer has a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University.