What is the role of social factors, such as income, work environment, social cohesion, food, and transportation systems, in determining the health risks of individuals?  This is a question asked in the Wesleyan University course catalog for Sociology 315 – The Health of Communities and today I received some information to help me find an answer to this.

It started off with a series of emails sent from an iPhone containing clips of the Project Summaries presentation for this year’s class. 

The students spent time exploring issues like understanding providers concerns about Internet based patient portals, understanding the importance of Nurse Practitioner Residency Programs and reviewing and analyzing programs such as postpartum depression screening, school based health services and hepatitis C management.

The idea of social cohesion particularly jumps out at me.  How much are the health risks to individuals a result of social cohesion?  How much is social cohesion determined by the health of individuals in a community?  What role does education play in social cohesion?

Perhaps this course is a good example of the role that social cohesion plays in health and education.  After all, it is a collaboration between a noted university and a noted federally qualified health center.  It isn’t just a standalone event, but is part of a bigger picture of collaborations between Wesleyan and CHC.  Ultimately, it is an illustration of how collaboration can contribute to better health outcomes in our communities.