Overview
Health
Good health is far more than a simple absence of illness. Aspects of our health systems – healthy food options, costs for medical care, public investments – interact in complicated ways to affect multiple dimensions of our well-being. While access to care is especially crucial, most of Oregon is considered a Health Professional Shortage area (HPSA), with more pronounced consequences for rural communities and those seeking culturally and linguistically specific care. Further expanding this picture, research shows characteristics of our housing and economic lives have a bigger impact on our health than previously thought.