SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Health Collaborative says it has the numbers and now it's time to do something about it.
It was the group's message this morning at a downtown breakfast meeting of potential investors.
This comes after their report last month showing San Antonians on the far Northwest Side live 20 years longer than those on the East Side.
The collaborative asked for funding to create a trust fund that San Antonio businesses and stakeholders would finance.
The fund would go toward programs to stop health problems before they start, like more trails, better sidewalks and community fitness programs.
The discrepancies in the county are apparent says the collaborative.
Those on the North Side have Hardberger Park available, with trails for exercise and safe playgrounds for children to play.
"I thought that this morning. I was like, 'I'm glad that it's so close to our house and that we can come utilize it,'" said Lauren Armstrong as she played with her 2-year-old son at a playground. "We are very blessed."
Compare that to 11 miles away on the East Side, where people at the apartments on Spriggsdale Boulevard say they face high levels of crime, and unless you take the bus, a convenience store is all that's available for groceries.
It's a disparity the Bexar County Health Collaborative says it wants to change through funding for fresh ideas.
"It takes more than money, it takes a community to change the conversation so that we're not funding the same thing," said Health Collaborative Vice Chair Pilar Oates.
Oates cited a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant to San Antonio's Metro Health as an example. It funded long-term programs like the B-Cycle bike program downtown.
From 2010 to 2012, obesity in San Antonio fell by 7 percent -- something she also links to the grant.
As some of the possible investors said, though, it's tough to commit. They say they have to be skeptical.
"Every day somebody has got a great idea," said San Antonio Chamber of Commerce CEO Richard Perez. "We're not a wealthy town, so we need to make sure that we're putting our resources in the places that can maximize our impact."