Health equity is at stake amid funding cuts, growing needs

When an M Health Fairview patient experienced an unexpected life event that left her unable to afford basic necessities, like healthy food essential to managing her chronic disease, she turned to her clinic for help. 

Her care team connected her with our food resource navigator, who linked her to food support both within and outside of our health system. Now, she receives free, fresh food boxes delivered weekly to her doorstep through our Food is Medicine initiative, which aims to advance food equity in partnership with local farmers.

Programs like this are redefining health care. Rooted in compassion, equity and innovation, they bring upstream solutions that shape health long before someone enters a clinic. But we need more of them.

That’s why the M Health Fairview Center for Community Health Equity (CCHE) is launching our inaugural Accelerator Fellowship, a 12-month leadership program to equip local changemakers with the tools and resources to turn bold ideas into action. 

Beginning in January 2026, eight fellows from across Minnesota will receive up to $10,000 in project funding, a structured educational curriculum on health equity and program design, coaching from local experts, and opportunities to connect with peers who share their passion for building healthier communities. Beyond funding, fellows will gain visibility for their work, with opportunities to showcase their projects to policymakers, health leaders and community partners.

Related from MinnPost: Read our race and health equity reporting fellow’s work

For Fairview, launching a fellowship like this builds on decades of local collaboration to address the complexity of individual and community health. We know that only 20% of health outcomes are determined by clinical care, while the other 80% are shaped by social and environmental factors. To advance human-centered health, we must invest in the people and ideas that influence those broader conditions.

This commitment builds on national recognition: Earlier this year, Fairview received the 2025 Foster G. McGaw Prize, one of the country’s highest honors for community partnership in health care. The fellowship is our way of deepening that work and sharing the responsibility with local leaders who are closest to the challenges and solutions.

Since its launch in 2022, CCHE has helped distribute naloxone kits and training to prevent opioid overdoses, increased participation in health research studies among marginalized groups and advocated for legislation to address the root causes of poor health. All of this work is anchored at the Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub, where the focus is on listening to and partnering with communities most affected by inequities.

The need could not be more urgent. At a time when public health agencies are facing cuts and stretched staffing — and when communities continue to grapple with rising violence, housing and food insecurity and mental health challenges — local innovation has never been more important. Each fellow’s project will help address barriers and build opportunities directly in Minnesota’s neighborhoods.

But this work cannot succeed without you. I invite you to apply — or share the application — for the 2026 fellowship here. And whether or not you apply, I encourage you to take action in your own neighborhood. Concrete steps like volunteering at a food shelf, mentoring youth or checking in on an elderly neighbor are meaningful ways to strengthen our social fabric and remind us of our collective power to stabilize and support one another.

Diane Tran is the system executive director of community health and equity engagement at Fairview Health Services.

The post Health equity is at stake amid funding cuts, growing needs appeared first on MinnPost.