Media Advisory

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March 24, 2008

What

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) hopes community members and leaders will join in the dialogue about health disparities by listening to the latest CCHS podcast and watching the upcoming Public Broadcasting System (PBS) documentary on the issue. The PBS series, "Unnatural Causes - Is Inequality Making Us Sick?", airs March 27 through April 17. One of the segments, "Place Matters", focuses on Richmond and is scheduled for April 10. The podcast, an audio presentation available on the CCHS website, features CCHS Director William Walker, MD, talking about the health department's commitment to reducing health disparities and why the work is important.

Why

Though the United States is one of the richest countries on the planet, it only ranks 29th in the world for life expectancy, among the worst in the industrialized world. Social and environmental factors can profoundly impact a person's health, and there are dramatic differences - known as health disparities - among people based on factors like race, economic status, education and environment. The "Unnatural Causes" documentary has started a national dialogue about the root causes of health disparities and how they can be reduced. Residents and community leaders in Contra Costa have a role to play and get can get involved. Read more about CCHS's policy to reduce health disparities at: www.cchealth.org - About Us.

When & Where

The podcast and more information on times and dates of the "Unnatural Causes" series is available on the CCHS website at www.cchealth.org

How

Anyone can access the podcast on the home page through computers with MP3 capability. Transcripts of the podcasts also are available online.

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