What if your doctor’s prescription for better health had nothing to do with medicine—and everything to do with where you live?

In this episode of Prescribing a Healthier Future, Dr. Akilah Weber Pearson, physician and California State Senator, sits down with Dr. Rodney Hood, a nationally recognized leader in health equity, to explore how the social determinants of health—like housing, food access, transportation, education, and even racism—shape our well-being far more than what happens in the doctor’s office.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why your ZIP code can determine your lifespan more than your genetic code
• How food deserts, redlining, and housing instability create health disparities
• The real impact of chronic stress and racism on physical health
• How community-based solutions like health workers, local gardens, and housing first models are transforming outcomes

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Some notable moments from this episode:

00:00 – Intro – The Prescription You Can’t Write

01:05 – What Are the Social Determinants of Health?

02:20 – Your ZIP Code vs. Your Genetic Code

04:25 – Food Deserts and Nutrition Inequality

07:20 – Community Solutions: Gardens and Farmers Markets

09:57 – Housing Instability and Health Outcomes

13:00 – Transportation Barriers to Care

17:04 – Historical Roots: Redlining and Health Inequity

23:10 – Education, Wealth, and Lifespan

24:07 – Racism, Chronic Stress, and Health Disparities

30:20 – Community Health Workers: The Secret Sauce

35:50 – The Housing First Model: Investing in Health

38:00 – The Economics of Health Equity

40:00 – Final Takeaway – Health Starts in Our Communities

41:30 – Outro – Join the Movement

HASHTAGS:

#HealthEquity #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #PublicHealth #CommunityWellness #AkilahWeber #RodneyHood #FoodAsMedicine #HousingFirst #HealthPolicy #CaliforniaHealth