ST. PETERSBURG Fla. \u2014\u00a0Your zip code shouldn\u2019t determine how long you live, but new data shows there\u2019s a huge disparity when you look at the three zip codes: 33705, 33711, and 33712 in south St. Pete.<\/p>\n
Now, people in these communities say they\u2019re planning to use that same data to help change those numbers.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
New data shows there\u2019s a large disparity when you look at the three zip codes: 33705, 33711, and 33712 in south St. Pete
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According to a new study released by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, residents in Pinellas County have an average life expectancy of 78.7 years, but when you zero in on south St. Pete, life expectancy is five years lower at 73.3 years
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President and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg Dr. Kanika Tomalin hopes the 125-page study can be shared with community partners to help bring change\u00a0
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Authors of the report say because there are so many areas impacted, it\u2019s going to take a number of different approaches to make a real difference<\/p>\n
Kay-Kay Smith says she\u2019s both comforted and conflicted every time she hears her mother\u2019s voice singing those old gospel songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the same song that we played at her funeral. And if she could\u2019ve gotten access to quality healthcare to get the things that she needed, she would still be here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Smith, this was the type of loss that made her want to do something to impact change.<\/p>\n
Her mother\u2019s name was Wanda Simpson. Her life and death are the reason why Smith started doing community outreach with her foundation, Rise and Thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was raised in this area. And she also expressed so many life and health disparities and she eventually passed away from life and health disparities. An expression of nine different health disparities, including chronic illnesses, diabetes and also kidney failure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
According to a new study released by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, residents in Pinellas County have an average life expectancy of 78.7 years, but when you zero in on south St. Pete, life expectancy is five years lower at 73.3 years.<\/p>\n
When it comes to diseases like diabetes, an average of 38 people are impacted in the county. But in south St. Pete, that number is 94.<\/p>\n
Smith said she knows those numbers represent real people, and it\u2019s why she helped contribute to the study and everything it examined.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what I got out of the report is the correlation of economic disparities and also chronic illness as well as neighborhood safety,\u201d she said. \u201cThese correlations express in our neighborhood and give the foundation for nonprofits to get involved in the community and expand the work.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the approach President and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Dr. Kanika Tomalin, said they want their community partners to take when it comes to this new study.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day, we have great people in our community coming together to figure out how we can build a stronger, more equitable community and we don\u2019t want that to be guesswork. We want to know exactly where the issues lie so we can take a laser focus prioritization at the work,\u201d Tomalin said.<\/p>\n
The 125-page study is packed with data that Tomalin said is an affirmation of information the community has known existed for years. She\u2019s hoping equipping people with this kind of documentation can help change it.<\/p>\n
“This is about saving lives and it\u2019s about quality of life and what it takes for a person in our community to thrive,” said Tomalin. “And when we look at race and health in St. Petersburg, there\u2019s still so much work to do to ensure people of color in our community, particularly in south St. Pete, have as much opportunity to thrive as their white neighbors.”<\/p>\n
Ensuring that her community gets that same opportunity is one of the main things Smith says she plans to focus on going forward.<\/p>\n
When it comes to actionable items \u2014 things like improving food security, strengthening community ties and supporting economic development \u2014are listed in the report. Authors of the report say because there are so many areas impacted, it\u2019s going to take a number of different approaches to make a real difference.<\/p>\n
View the full report below:
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