The Opportunity

The Advancing Health Equity in Aging initiative aims to reduce health inequities and improve the lives of older adults from historically marginalized communities, with an emphasis on older adults of color.

Launched in October 2022, The SCAN Foundation seeks to convene, organize, and harmonize efforts by activating and sustaining a diverse, cross-sector network of leaders and accelerators to develop and design solutions targeting the specific drivers of poor health outcomes. Simultaneously, we are dedicated to engaging those with lived experience at each phase of the work to consistently ensure a person-centered, equitable approach.

The Initiative

With an initial focus on California’s older adults, the Foundation will convene and coordinate the initiative to achieve the following goals:

  • BUILD A MOVEMENT: We will build a new movement that aligns the aging and disability sectors with the racial equity and social justice movements to establish a sustained focus on advancing health equity for older adults from marginalized communities.
  • INSPIRE ACTION: Through data collection and storytelling, we will equip and inspire policymakers, public and private sector funders, advocates, and other messengers across all generations to act.
  • SUSTAIN FUNDING: We will secure financial support from the public and private sectors to build long-term capacity for the work.
  • REDUCE INEQUITIES: Through the establishment of Equity Community Organizing (ECO) Groups, we will empower people and communities to create and offer targeted policy, practice, and programmatic solutions that address factors leading to inequities. The longer-term goal is to scale and replicate this model.

Steering Committee

A Steering Committee was established in late 2022 to guide all facets of the initiative, informing critical discussions and making key decisions. They represent diverse sectors and perspectives and meet regularly. In December, they voted to focus our human-centered design research on three initial areas: 1) choice around aging in place; 2) affording aging; and 3) health care access and delivery.

Elevating Community

We are partnering with Greater Good Studio (GGS), a social impact design firm, to explore health inequities and disparities across our three themes by interviewing and shadowing older adults, their families, and care teams in Butte, Imperial, San Diego, San Francisco, and Shasta counties. They are also meeting with national experts and community-based providers for additional insights.

The Summit

A private Summit is occurring in summer 2023 to convene individuals and organizations interested in and working at the intersection of aging, disability, racial equity, and social justice. We will hear from older adults – as experts of their own lived experience – to inspire action and fuel our commitment to advancing health equity for all. Outcomes from this meeting and next steps will be shared.