Health
Focusing on Health
Our goal: To improve the health and well-being of individuals and our community.
Key strategies
- Improve access to health and dental care
- Provide mental health and addiction services
- Provide education and resources to build healthy environments
- Prevent and respond to domestic violence
Why It's Important
Did You Know:
- Over 314,000 people have no health insurance in Oregon.
Health isn't just about the absence of illness. It's much more than that and is determined by a multitude of factors that influence one's ability to make choices that lead to a healthy, productive life. For our whole community to be healthy, we must move towards giving every person the opportunity to obtain physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Health disparities do exist in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. There are more than 314,000 people without health insurance in our four-county region, and at least 84% of those without coverage are from working families.
Racial, tribal and ethnic communities are disproportionately affected and are less likely to have health insurance.
It's becoming more and more difficult for individuals and families to obtain and maintain health care coverage. Uninsured people who get sick are less likely to seek and receive medical care. This often poses an insurmountable challenge for the chronically sick because they are unable to keep jobs, which makes it even more difficult to pay for rent or a mortgage.
Only 39% of Oregonians who needed mental health care get the services they need. Yet as need increases, more and more cuts to funding are being made. Also, many people forego mental health and addictions services forego help because they fear being stigmatized. Underserved populations are more affected by the lack of access and utilization of mental health and addictions services.
Domestic violence contributes to a huge lack of physical, mental and social well-being for hundreds of thousands in our community. In our four-county region, there have been at least 40 domestic violence-related deaths in the past 12 months.
About 160,000 women and 96,000 men in the Portland-Vancouver metro area will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. It is estimated that 85,000 women in our region are currently experiencing domestic violence. In addition to the loss of human life, domestic violence costs our community at least $11 million annually in criminal justice system costs, and another $10 million in lost wages, healthcare and other services.
What We Are Doing
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette invests in programs that help Individuals improve and maintain their physical and mental health to contribute to a better overall social wellbeing. Our funded programs ensure access to and utilization of physical and mental health services for the underserved and uninsured of our community. Culturally specific addictions and substance abuse programs are funded through United Way of to rehabilitate individuals affected by addictions and promote healthy living. We also fund projects that promote healthy environments, as well as programs that support victims of domestic violence by helping them and their families find services, safety and stable housing.