It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on the one-year mark of the “beginning” of the COVID-19 pandemic here in the United States. As we write this blog entry, more than 500,000 lives have been lost in this country, a tragedy that’s nearly unthinkable.

All of our lives have been impacted in some way. It seemed like the world came to a halt in many respects in mid-March 2020. Employees were sent home. Schools closed. Businesses shuttered temporarily – and in some cases, permanently. Unemployment, the loss of insurance, and increases in food insecurity followed. Depression and anxiety took hold for many who felt isolated, scared, alone. The financial, social, and emotional impacts of the pandemic will likely continue to reverberate throughout society for many years.

For the last fifty years, Adagio Health had held to a mission of providing safe, compassionate, inclusive care to people in need, regardless of insurance. Many of our patients are also in need of referrals to other social services, and the COVID-19 crisis has widened an equity gap that was already significant. Black and indigenous people of color have been hit the hardest in terms of job loss and sickness, a direct result of racial, economic and resource inequity. With the recognition of racism as a public health crisis in cities across the country, the work to diminish gaps in healthcare access and equity has taken on a new importance.

Adagio Health is working to meet these disparities head on. Our new Mobile Health Unit provides greater access to people in rural areas for whom proximity or transportation to other health care providers has been a recurring obstacle. Our Education team seeks to empower local communities to address public health, positive relationship building, and the cultivation of healthy life skills through educational programming with an emphasis on diversity, inclusivity, and evidence-based curricula. Our medical offices have introduced telehealth visits to safely provide care to more patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to offer more options to patients who may require more flexibility than a traditional doctor’s office can offer. To stay involved in the conversation surrounding health equity Adagio Health is bringing health experts and engaged members of the community together for the Better Health Outcomes Speaker Series. Throughout 2021, our series will include four virtual events covering the topics of Food Insecurity, Black Maternal Health, Behavioral Health and Racial Health Disparities.

It is our goal to connect vulnerable patients and underserved communities to more of the health and wellness services they need. We invite you to learn more about the programs, events and services we offer by visiting adagiohealth.org and following us on Facebook and Instagram – and we invite your feedback and suggestions along the way.