First as a nursing student and now as a registered nurse, I am fortunate to serve patients in the emergency department (ED) at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis. I am learning so much from the hard-working interdiscliplinary team in the ED about managing pediatric illness, injuries, traumas, and resuscitations. 

Perhaps the most powerful learning thus far, however, has been daily exposure to how impactful social determinants of health are on the children and families who come through our doors. So much of our health is determined by factors outside the hospital or actual medical care we receive. The impact of systemic racism and other discrimination, poverty, intergenerational trauma, and inconsistent access to safe water, food, and housing is enormous and contributes to health disparities along lines of race, socioeconomic status, and other identities. 

When signing up to run the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile for this coming fall, I wanted to do so as part of a fundraising team. There were many local organizations participating and because I recently started my job at Children's Minnesota, I chose to join their team. We were given options about where specifically within the organization the funds we raise would go and I wanted to focus on social determinants of health and health disparities. 

100% of funds raised through this project go to the Collective for Community Health at Children's Minnesota - whose work centers "co-creating innovative community solutions that eliminate health disparities and advance health equity." They connect children and families with social and legal resources, advocate on policies and system changes that impact health of children and families, and partner with community organizations on clinical care, education, research, and policy advocacy. 

You can read more about their mission and recent work here: https://www.childrensmn.org/collective/ 

My goal is to raise $1000 between now and race day (October 6th). Any funds you contribute are hugely appreciated!