1. Running Head: I-70 CORRIDOR HEALTH DISPARITIES
I-70 Corridor Health Disparities
Courtney Quinlan
Metropolitan State University of Denver

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Many people face issues in health care today. Some of the issues that people face in
Health Care are lack of insurance and accessibility to care. This can be due to the cost of care or
even due to a specific type of community a person belongs to. When a specific group of people
are affected by such issues in healthcare this is called a health disparity. “Healthy People 2020
defines a health disparity as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with
social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage” (healthypeople.gov). This raises the
question of why health disparities even exist, why they are an issue, and what can be done about
them. This paper will discuss the geographic region of the I-70 corridor in Denver that is heavily
affected by health disparities, why these health disparities matter and need to be addressed, and
how to achieve results in lowering health care disparities.
There are a multitude of reasons why health disparities are an issue today. Many of these
issues are right here at home in the Denver, Colorado area specifically in the area of the I-70
corridor, also known as Children’s Corridor. The I-70 corridor is an area that is largely affected
by air pollution from all the traffic that travels on I-70. What is even more interesting about this
geographic region is its population. The majority of the people who live here are
Hispanic/Latino. Colorado’s 2013 Health Disparities Report states that “of the hundreds of
elementary schools in the Denver Metro Area, two are situated within 500 feet of a major
highway with 88% and 75% of their students being Hispanic/Latino. This is an interesting
statistic since only 28% of elementary students statewide are Hispanic/Latino” (Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment CDPHE, 2013). People who live in this
geographic region are experiencing many adverse health issues due to the heavy air pollution.
Some of these issues are “asthma, low cognitive function, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as
lower IQ in children with prenatal exposure” (CDPHE, 2013). The affected geographic region

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mentioned contains two key neighborhoods, Globeville and Elyria Swansea, which are also
affected by this heavy air pollution. Globeville and Elyria Swansea were first settled in the
1800s and as time went on became a very heavy industrialized area (Denver Environmental
Health, 2014). The residents in these two neighborhoods are also majority Hispanic and “suffer
from one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and asthma in the
Denver area” (Denver Environmental Health, 2014). Many of these health disparities stem from
issues of socioeconomic status, individual factors and behaviors, public services and
infrastructure, and living and working conditions (Denver Environmental Health, 2014). People
who are in good health who do not have to deal with health disparities may wonder why health
disparities matter. Why should they care if they are not affected firsthand by such issues?
The Henry J Kaiser foundation website states that health disparities matter because
“recent analysis estimates that 30% of direct medical costs for Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian
Americans are excess costs due to health inequities and that the economy loses an estimated
$309 billion per year due to the direct and indirect costs of disparities. As the population
becomes more diverse, with people of color projected to account for over half of the population
by 2050, it is increasingly important to address health disparities” (Kaiser Family Foundation,
2012). It is important to pay attention to the information above because it ties into cost and
quality of health care. Unequal distribution of care could cause an immense increase in the costs
and the availability of services in health care. An article on The Health Relay website lends
another two excellent examples of why health disparities matter. First, “we're learning, too, that
our social fabric can wear thin and individuals, communities, and entire regions become less
vibrant when burdened by the ramifications of poor health. Sick people are less productive, less
involved, and less community, state, and nation-focused” (Reyman, 2012). Since people in the

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above mentioned communities are more likely to work in jobs that involve outdoor work, manual
labor, or industrial work, their poorer state of health not only affects themselves and their
communities but also affects the products and services that are to be delivered to the rest of the
Denver metropolitan area. People cannot perform their jobs well if they are sick all the time.
Being sick constantly also puts one’s job at risk for missing work or under performing. The
second important factor mentioned in the Health Relay website is “investments in eliminating
health quality disparities help ensure baseline health standards for all Americans and help
promote ownership of and responsibility for one's own health,” (Reyman, 2012). This is
basically saying that the more the U.S. invests in the health of its total population, the more
likely people will be to take action for living healthier lifestyles which will all tie back into
quality and access to health care and healthy lives.
Just knowing that health disparities matter and need to be addressed is not enough. Steps
need to be taken towards achieving results in lowering health disparities especially since a large
amount of children are involved in this health crisis that is going on in the I-70 corridor region.
Children are emphasized here because our children are our future. This statement cannot be said
enough. How can children help care for their parents and others when they become the aged if
they themselves are often too sick to successfully function? Thankfully there are organizations
in Colorado working towards helping people in communities in the I-70 corridor geographic
region to live healthier lives thus lowering the disparities of this specific population. A good
start to initially assess the status of health in a community is to perform a health impact
assessment (HIA). Denver Environmental Health defines a health impact assessment as “a
process to incorporate health considerations into a plan, project or policy” (Denver
Environmental Health, 2014). From here specific neighborhood plans can be built to help the

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people living in these neighborhoods. For the neighborhoods of Globeville and Elyria Swansea
this “involves redevelopment and infrastructure projects, focusing on building a transit rail,
fixing the highway, and implementing tourism attractions” (Denver Environmental Health,
2014). This neighborhood plan will help bring more money into the community which in return
can create jobs and more income for the population living in these low-wage brackets.
Neighborhood plans are not the only plans set in place to improve living and working conditions
in the I-70 corridor. Organizations such as the Piton Foundation has been established
specifically to help communities such as these. The Gary Community is another affected area
off the I-70 corridor that faces health disparities. The Piton Foundation is a part of Gary
Community Investments that is “committed to improving the lives of Colorado's low-income
children and their families by increasing access to quality early childhood and youth
development opportunities and fostering healthy family and community environments”
(piton.org). Both the Gary Community Investment Company and the Piton Foundation share of
the mission of “working towards improving the lives of Colorado’s low-income children and
families through investing in their youth, developing systems and sustainable economic
opportunities, and fostering healthy family and community environments” (garycommunity.org).
With organizations such as these investing in the above mentioned communities, Colorado
stands a better fighting chance of overcoming health disparities through investment, revival, and
education.
In conclusion, it is very apparent that health disparities are an issue today not only in
Colorado but in the United States as a whole. It is how these issues are dealt with and the steps
that are taken to overcome health-disparities that really matter. Ignoring health disparities will
not make them go away, it will only make them worse as time goes on. As one can see from the

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content in this paper, health-disparities do matter, do need to be addressed, and can be lowered
through the hard work and help of people in the communities and organizations becoming
actively involved in the stride to lead health lives. The more people are educated on health
disparities as well as how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the better off future generations will be.

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References
Denver Environmental Health. (2014). How neighborhood planning affects health in globeville
and elyria swansea. Retrieved June 2015 from:
http://denvergov.org/Portals/746/documents/HIA/HIA%20Composite%20Report_9-18-
14.pdf
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Office of Health Equity. Health
Disparities the 2013 Report. (2013). Exploring health equity in colorado’s 10 winnable
battles. Retrieved June 2015 from:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/OHE_Health-Disparities-The-2013-
Report.pdf
Gary Community Investments. (n.d.). Who we are, why we exist. Retrieved June 2015 from:
http://www.garycommunity.org/who-we-are
HealthyPeople.gov. (n.d.). Disparities. Retrieved June 2015 from:
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2012). Disparities in health and Health Care: Five key questions
and answers. Retrieved June 2015 from: http://kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-
brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-five-key-questions-and-answers/
Reyman, C. (2012). Do health disparities manner?. Health Relay: The Race is on for a
Healthier Colorado. Retrieved June 2015 from:
http://coloradohealth.typepad.com/health_relay/2012/05/health-disparities.html
The Piton Foundation at Gary Community Investments. (n.d.). About. Retrieved June 2015
from: http://www.piton.org/piton-foundation