Black and Hispanic Ohioans continue to experience massive disparities in health care, according to a new national study.

Why it matters: Health disparities leave thousands of Ohioans suffering from preventable conditions, financial strain and a lack of trust in the health care system, with stark gaps across racial groups.

Driving the news: Last week, private health care research firm The Commonwealth Fund published its 2026 State Health Disparities Report.

• The study behind the report evaluated 24 indicators of health system performance with data from 2022-2024 for racial and ethnic groups in each state.
• Based on composite scores of those indicators, groups were given percentile scores from 1 (worst) to 100 (best).

The big picture: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and white Ohioans scored above average, while Black and Hispanic Ohioans lagged far behind.

• That's consistent with the national trend, which shows AANHPI and white residents have significantly better health indicators than Black and Hispanic residents in nearly every state.

What they're saying: "As a primary care physician, I've seen how racial and ethnic disparities not only harm the people experiencing them, but also weaken the entire system," Commonwealth Fund president Joseph R. Betancourt said in a release.

• "Our report shows even high-performing states are not immune. But the truth is, when health systems look at where they're falling short for their patients and make closing those gaps a real priority, they deliver better care for everyone."

By the numbers: Black Ohioans die of avoidable causes much more frequently (493 per 100,000) than their white (309), Hispanic (205) and AANHPI (115) counterparts.

• Hispanic Ohioans (22.6%) are significantly more likely to be uninsured than other groups, all between 7-12%.
• Hispanic Ohioans (24.5%) are nearly twice as likely to have gone without care because of cost than the next-closest group (Black Ohioans).
• The infant mortality rate for Black Ohioans is a staggering 13.1 per 1,000 live births, nearly double the rate of Hispanic Ohioans (6.7).

The bottom line: The report says its evidence shows "states with stronger overall health system performance also tend to perform better on health equity."

• It says state factors like Medicaid eligibility, medical debt and family and parent support can all contribute to better outcomes.
• It also proposes steps Congress could take to improve nationwide health outcomes, including expanding access to insurance, strengthening primary care delivery, protecting access to preventive care and implementing "digital health innovations."

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Destination Cleveland wants residents to become a little more braggadocious.

Why it matters: Tourism officials increasingly believe that word-of-mouth recommendations from locals shape travel decisions more effectively than traditional advertising.

Driving the news: Destination Cleveland last week launched "The Brag Movement," a campaign designed to encourage Clevelanders to actively promote the city to friends, family and online audiences.

• The effort was unveiled during the organization's annual meeting.

Zoom in: The campaign includes an interactive "Brag Button" — which will appear physically at events and online — that residents can push to share what they love about Cleveland.

• The first in-person "Brag Button" event is scheduled for Pride in The CLE on June 6.
• Participants will receive Cleveland-themed swag and promotional materials encouraging them to continue spreading positive messages about the city.

🤖 The intrigue: The campaign also includes a "Brag Coach," a chatbot-style tool that generates social media captions, recommendations and talking points about Cleveland.

What they're saying: "Locals are our most powerful storytellers and recommenders," said Destination Cleveland chief marketing officer Marie Scalia in a press release.

What's next: Destination Cleveland says additional "Brag Button" events and storytelling campaigns will roll out throughout the year.

📊 The private equity group that wants to build a $1.6 billion hyperscale data center in Slavic Village is racing to get its plans approved before City Council passes a moratorium. (NEOtrans)

🚰 Cleveland has agreed to a $3 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that accused the city's water utility of discriminating against Black residents. (Cleveland Scene)

⛑️ More than 100 protesters demonstrated outside the City Club last week during a sold-out event featuring Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (News 5)

🏥 Akron Children's Hospital was the surprise winner in last week's auction for the former Notre Dame College campus in South Euclid. (WKYC)

A new statewide initiative gives Ohio residents a chance to highlight historic buildings they care about and maybe even help keep them around for decades to come.

Why it matters: Heritage Ohio, a historic preservation nonprofit, is using its "250 Buildings, 250 Stories" project to find sites that could be preserved, restored or redeveloped, especially ones that might otherwise be overlooked.

• The effort, tied to the America 250 celebration, will spotlight 250 buildings across the state that are at least 50 years old.

The big picture: Organizers want to go beyond well-known landmarks and surface stories from every corner of the state, including places that haven't been widely documented.

• That could be a building you pass every day, an empty church in your neighborhood, an old factory or a place you remember visiting as a kid.
• "Every building represents a story," said Matt Wiederhold, executive director of Heritage Ohio. "Some represent successful reinvestment. Others are waiting for their next chapter."

How it works: Go to Heritage Ohio's website and fill out a short form with the building's address, why it matters and a few photos.

• No research required, Wiederhold said, just your perspective. However, adding a little bit about the building's history helps.
• The form closes Sept. 18.
• "We don't need a complete history of the building," Wiederhold said. "It's not meant to be scholarly."

What's next: Heritage Ohio team will recognize the selected nominations on its social channels and its newsletter.

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This week's photo was taken by Lydia Hanicak (@macrolydia), who captured the Haserot Angel at Lake View Cemetery.

📷 If you have a recent photo representing Cleveland's essence, please submit it by replying to this email.