Ithaca College

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the courage of health professionals and support personnel while exposing the flaws of public health preparation and inequalities in health outcomes. This course examines long standing and continuing inequalities in health and health care in the US. Course description and details below.

HLTH 31200 – Inequalities in Health Care.  (Diversity DV; Liberal Arts LA; Legal Studies Minor Courses LMEL). An interdisciplinary course appropriate for any major to explore the historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors that drive inequalities in health and in the U.S. health care system.  Students will deepen their knowledge of health disparity and health inequality with respect to healthcare.  

Using Human Development theory and intersectionality as frameworks for analysis, emphasis is placed on strategies for addressing the disparaging experiences of persons from vulnerable populations with respect to healthcare organizations and other human services establishments such as child welfare agencies, homeless shelters, prisons, immigration centers, health centers on college and university campuses, and more.   

Students will learn practical skills related to conducting a health equity appraisal of a health care or other human services agency, as well as the general skills essential to organizational consultation and assessment.  Students will work together to complete a capstone project demonstrating their understanding of the web of issues that drive discriminatory practices in American healthcare, and strategies to advocate for social justice, equity-based solutions for health  and human services organizations. 

Online synchronous.  The class meets once per week on Thursday evenings. 

Prerequisites: Junior standing or sophomore who has taken a social science or HLTH courses at the 200-level. (F,S,Y)

For more information, please contact Yolanda Clarke at yclarke@ithaca.edu.