Studies from earlier this year give Minnesota high marks in residents’ overall health and the state’s health care system. It has the highest health index score in the country and, for the second consecutive year, is ranked the best state in the nation based on 44 key indicators, including cost, access and outcomes.
And yet, Minnesota historically has seen significant differences in health outcomes between white residents and minority groups when it comes to higher rates of chronic disease, lower life expectancy, and poorer access to health care.
Despite progress in some areas, Minnesota continues to face significant health disparities, particularly concerning conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health issues among communities of color.
Factors contributing to disparities are linked to systemic issues like unequal access to education, employment opportunities, quality housing, and transportation, all of which are rooted in historical and ongoing racial discrimination.
According to a Minnesota Department of Health report from earlier this year: “To be healthy, people need peace, shelter, education, food, income, and social justice. In short, health is created where people live, work, and play. Minnesota’s significant and long-lasting health inequities cannot be explained by bio-genetic factors and personal choice. These health differences have, in part, resulted from structural racism. …
“Creating health equity requires a comprehensive solution that includes but goes beyond targeted grants and access to health care. Minnesota needs to address health disparities as part of a broad spectrum of public investments in housing, transportation, education, economic opportunity and criminal justice,” says the MDH report.
Among those on the frontline of change is Chaz Sandifer, CEO of theNEWmpls. She has spent more than a decade promoting racial health and equity through fitness, wellness and nutrition. In partnership with institutions like the Mayo Clinic, she is launching programs to bring a holistic approach to health care through storytelling. In collaboration with organizations like the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Cancer Association, she is also helping raise awareness around prevention, wellness, and accessible nutrition.
Emerging from a journey that encompassed divorce, surviving domestic violence, and reshaping her lifestyle around fitness, wellness and nutrition, Sandifer began recognizing the gaps in access to health and wellbeing resources that others faced.
Raised with a strong foundation, she knew the privilege of access to health care, education and homeownership. This upbringing gave her a head start on a healthy life, yet she understood that many in her community, particularly in marginalized areas, lack this safety net.
“I was able to go home to a healthy house,” she says, “and a lot of people don’t have this available to them.”
With knowledge of fitness, nutrition and wellness, she began sharing tools and resources to bridge these gaps. The journey wasn’t easy. “The hardest part of my job is the farmer’s market,” she says.
As a sponsor and manager of the Lakeview Terrace Farmers Market in partnership with the City of Robbinsdale, theNEWmpls creates a full wellness experience through meal prep courses and expanded opportunities to access nutritious foods. She notes that food deserts and limited budgets make healthy eating an unattainable ideal for some families.
“Health care isn’t just about pills and shots,” she says. “It’s about creating a sense of community, listening to people, and empowering them to make informed choices.” She envisions a system where people feel seen and heard by bringing health care providers closer to the community, fostering connections beyond clinical interactions.
Through her storytelling initiatives, she provides a platform for people to voice their struggles and triumphs. Additionally, by offering fitness sessions and mental well-being resources, she hopes to make wellness accessible and sustainable for all.
The needs go beyond physical health, extending into mental resilience. In her work, she has encountered women carrying enormous emotional burdens — mothers, sisters and daughters who feel they must appear strong while enduring invisible struggles. “We’re not allowed to be okay, especially as Black women,” she says. “Society perceives us as ‘crazy’ if we show vulnerability, or ‘angry’ if we show we’re upset.”
Her current work also includes tackling the root causes of health disparities — starting with youth. “Schools are cutting budgets for [such things as] fitness and arts programs,” she notes. “The domino effect is real. Kids need life coaches and mental health support.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of the recent election, she talks of helping to organize a Black Women’s Brunch hosted by Sheletta Brundidge. The intent was to create a safe, healing space that brought together therapists, life coaches, and support resources.
“We need more spaces where it’s okay not to be okay,” she says, explaining how important it is for communities of color to have resources without stigma or shame.
Her work extends into advocacy, speaking to policymakers, and pushing for changes to make health care sustainable and affordable. “We can’t monopolize health care,” she says. We need to make it accessible, sustainable and affordable.” She envisions a future where mental health support is universal, organizations fund sustainable community programs, and no one is left behind due to a lack of resources.
For her, advocating for health is not just about creating environments where individuals can thrive. She believes society can create a better, healthier world by addressing disparities and raising funds for initiatives that uplift underserved populations.
“When you cut funding, you keep communities down,” she says. “We need to continue funding, create sustainability, and close the gaps that keep us from healthy lives.”
Through resilience, advocacy, and a commitment to equity, Sandifer continues to empower others, bridging gaps one story, one meal, and one program at a time.
Tonya Jackman Hampton is an author with a doctor of education and an MBA. She is a native Minnesotan.