In Erie, a ten-minute drive can mean a ten-year difference in life expectancy.
Op-ed by Alivia Haibach, CEO, Multi-Cultural Health Evaluation Delivery System (MHEDS)
Just a few miles separate ZIP codes 16503 and 16508, yet residents of 16508 live, on average, a full decade longer. This gap isn’t just a statistic, it’s a reflection of the health disparities that persist across our city and county… especially in communities that have long been overlooked, whether in the heart of Erie or miles outside of it. It tells us that access to care, safe housing, nutritious food, clean air, and educational opportunity are still distributed unevenly.
At MHEDS, we see this reality every day. And we believe it’s time for Erie to ask: What kind of community do we want to be?
A Region Divided by Health
In some neighborhoods, 1 in 7 adults still lack a personal healthcare provider. In others, patients struggle with cost, transportation, or language barriers just to see a doctor. And among young adults earning less than $15,000 annually, that gap in care grows even wider.
In rural areas across Erie County, many residents face geographic isolation that makes even basic care hard to reach. For them, the nearest doctor might be 30 miles away. If you can’t drive, can’t take time off work, or can’t afford gas, you go without. These barriers are just as real and just as deadly.
These are not isolated challenges; they’re community-wide issues that affect our workforce, our schools, and the future we’re building together.
But there’s good news: Erie is not ignoring these truths. In fact, we’re responding.
A Model That Puts Community First
Over the past few months, MHEDS has expanded access dramatically. We opened our newest site on Parade Street and served 1,000 new patients in the first month alone. Recently, we broke ground at our new Buffalo Road location. We’ve added eight new providers to reduce wait times. Our staff, 86% of whom are hired from the neighborhoods we serve, reflects the diversity and strength of Erie itself.
We serve a population where over 87% of patients speak a language other than English. We meet people in their own language, in their own community, and with cultural sensitivity that builds trust and delivers results.
Now, we’re expanding this model beyond the four walls of our clinics.
This year, MHEDS launched Meeting You Where You Are, a capital campaign to fund a mobile medical unit that will bring primary care, screenings, and health education directly to underserved neighborhoods and rural communities across Northwest Pennsylvania. Because care shouldn’t be confined to buildings or city blocks.
When we show up on front porches, farmhouses, and forgotten main streets, we do more than provide healthcare; we restore dignity, hope, and the powerful message: You matter. You deserve to be well.
Health Equity Is a Community Project
No single organization can solve these disparities alone. That’s why we partner with local schools, churches, nonprofits, refugee centers, and families. Together, we’ve launched initiatives in reproductive health education, pediatric lead screening, behavioral health outreach, and more. These programs aren’t just clinical, they’re human. They recognize that true health requires connection, trust, and dignity.
And that brings us to an essential truth: Health equity is not a side project; it’s central to Erie’s success.
If we want to retain young people, attract families, grow businesses, and strengthen our schools, we must make sure every resident can access the care they need, regardless of their ZIP code, language, or income.
A Call to All of Us
This moment isn’t just about MHEDS. It’s about Erie.
It’s about believing that no one in our community should wait weeks for a wellness visit. That a language barrier shouldn’t become a health barrier. That a family shouldn’t have to choose between paying a bill and seeing a doctor, or between feeding their kids and driving 30 miles to the nearest clinic.
We know the challenges are big. But so is Erie’s heart. We’ve seen what’s possible when neighbors, businesses, schools, and leaders come together around a shared vision: a region where everyone—not just some—can live a long, healthy life.
Let’s keep building that vision. Let’s make it real in every neighborhood, on every street, and for every family. Because in Erie, health should never depend on where you live.
Author Bio
Alivia Haibach is the Chief Executive Officer of the Multi-Cultural Health Evaluation Delivery System (MHEDS), a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. MHEDS is Northwest PA’s one-stop healthcare service provider, serving Erie’s multicultural community with holistic healthcare at three locations in Erie. MHEDS’ mission is to enable all who wish to achieve complete mental, physical, and social well-being by providing equitable, culturally sensitive, patient-centered health care, regardless of their ability to pay.
Some families can’t get to the care they need. With your help, MHEDS will raise $350,000 to launch a mobile medical unit—bringing primary care and screenings directly to communities across Erie County. Help us take compassion on the road.
