Events
Catholic Health Association 2022 We Are Called Webinar Series
CHA is hosting a series of webinars throughout the year as part of the We Are Called: Confronting Racism by Achieving Health Equity initiative. The first webinar addressed board diversity at all levels of a ministry, including system, regional and local boards. The Honorable Maricela Moore, CHRISTUS Health board chair, and Eric Wexler, president of operations and strategy – South, for Providence Health, provided insights and tactics for increasing board diversity in the many communities we serve. A recording of the webinar can be found here. The second webinar is scheduled for Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. ET and will continue the discussion of board and executive leadership diversity. Stay tuned for more information, including how to register, or check the CHA Calendar of Events.
Catholic Health Association Diversity & Health Disparities
Networking Call
Feb. 25 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET
In this first networking call for 2022, CHA and ministry colleagues will share activities and programs to achieve health equity and increase the diversity of our organizations. If you have a program to highlight or a discussion topic to suggest for the agenda, please contact Kathy Curran, CHA senior director, public policy.
National Academy of Medicine Culture of Health Program: Measuring Impact for Health Equity
Jan. 25 from 2 - 5 p.m. ET or Jan. 26 from Noon - 2 p.m. ET
The National Academy of Medicine Culture of Health Program will host a virtual meeting to examine key considerations for measuring, evaluating, and communicating the impact of efforts to accelerate health equity, highlight existing approaches to measuring and evaluating health equity strategies in various sectors, and elevate promising strategies to measure impact of efforts to sustain and advance health equity outcomes. Register: Measuring Impact for Health Equity - National Academy of Medicine
U.S News Measuring Health Equity: Building a U.S. News Health Equity Index for Hospitals and Health Systems
Jan. 25 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET
U.S. News debuted several measures examining disparities in health care services provided to people of different races and ethnicities. Those novel measures are a subset of a portfolio of equity measures under development by U.S. News. In this webinar, U.S. News editors and analysts will highlight key findings from their recent analysis, describe additional equity measures under consideration and discuss how equity measures may be incorporated into the Best Hospitals rankings going forward. Register: Webinar Registration
NIHCM Foundation Climate Changes Health: Moving Towards Environmental Health Equity
Jan. 26 from 3 - 4 p.m. ET
Extreme weather events are becoming more intense and frequent. The overall health effects of a changing climate are overwhelmingly negative. Climate change damages many of the resources that are social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. This webinar will explore the interconnectedness of climate change and health, environmental injustice and what can be done to combat these issues. The speakers will discuss solutions that can improve health outcomes. Register: Registration
National Indian Health Board and The Centers for Disease Control Discussion Session on a Campaign to Support Healthy American Indian and Alaska Native Pregnancies and Maternal Health
Jan. 27 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. ET
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand and amplify the ways in which AI/AN mothers, partners, caregivers and community members can best keep mothers and babies healthy and safe during pregnancy and beyond. CDC speakers will provide a brief overview of the campaign and Tribal participants will provide input on the proposed campaign themes and materials, and best strategies for reaching Tribal communities. Register: Meeting Registration
American Hospital Association Rural Health Care Leadership Conference
Feb. 6 – 9 in Phoenix
The American Hospital Association's 2022 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference will bring together top practitioners and thinkers to share strategies and resources for accelerating the shift to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system. Participants will examine the most significant operational, financial and environmental challenges including the post-pandemic impact on rural hospitals and their communities, and present innovative approaches that will enable you to transform your organization's care delivery model and business practices. Register: https://ruralconference.aha.org/
American Hospital Association Accelerating Health Equity Conference: Forward on the Journey
May 10 - 12 in Cleveland
The AHA Community Health Improvement (ACHI) network and the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE), both part of the American Hospital Association, are once again joining forces to advance their shared mission to close health equity gaps by building strategic hospital-community partnerships and developing and sustaining diversity and inclusion efforts in hospitals and health systems. The Accelerating Health Equity Conference is an opportunity to learn from each other, celebrate achievements and fuel the momentum to drive change – turning words into action. Sign up to receive updates about speakers, sessions and special events at the conference: Accelerating Health Equity Conference
Reports and Resources
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Minority Health, Trends in Racial, Ethnic, Sex, and Rural-Urban Inequities in Health Care in Medicaid Advantage 2009-2018
Since 2015, CMS OMH has published annual reports to highlight inequities in the quality of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide based. Until now, these annual reports have focused on comparisons within a single year. An investigation of historical trends can provide important perspective on inequities. This report presents an analysis of historical trends in inequities by race, ethnicity, sex and geography among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans nationwide. Access the report: Trends in Racial, Ethnic, Sex, and Rural-Urban Inequities in Health Care in Medicare Advantage: 2009-2018
Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force Final Report
In January 2020, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to establish a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force chaired by Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith. In November, the Task Force delivered its final report with recommendations to address the inequitable health outcomes that communities of color and other underserved populations have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access the report: Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Report of Recommendations
National Academy of Medicine Special Publication: Sharing Health Data: The Why, the Will, and the Way Forward
As data and information are increasingly combined across various sources, their generative value to transform health, health care and health equity increases significantly. Health data has proven its centrality in guiding action to change the course of individual and population health, if properly stewarded and used. This publication explores how intentional attention to health data sharing can enable unparalleled advances, securing a healthier and more equitable future for all. Access the report: Sharing Health Data prepub.indd
Association of American Medical Colleges Center for Health Justice and American Medical Association Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts
The AAMC Center for Health Justice has partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA) to develop Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts. The intent of this guide is to challenge physicians, health care providers, and all of us to change how we speak with and about patients and communities and provide guidance and a deeper understanding of equity-focused, person-first language, where it comes from and why it matters. Access the guide: Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and Concepts
Root Cause Coalition Health Equity and Social Determinants: Trends, Attitudes and Perspectives
Throughout 2021, TRCC conducted a series of national surveys to explore Trends, Attitudes and Perspectives (TAP) about health equity and related issues. These monthly surveys have tested attitudes and perceptions regarding specific aspects of health equity including hunger, poverty, technology, climate change, and how COVID-19 continues to affect individual and public health. This new report includes the key takeaways and trends, along with additional considerations including several calls to action for TRCC and its members. Access the report: Health Equity and Social Determinants: Trends, Attitudes and Perspectives
Kaiser Family Foundation How the Use of Race in Clinical Care Can Contribute to Health Disparities
There are growing efforts within the medical community to examine and revise the use of race in medical care and training and to acknowledge the role of racism in shaping treatment. This issue brief examines the use of racial classification in medical care and teaching and identifies how these practices can contribute to ongoing racial disparities in health and health care. Access the report: Use of Race in Clinical Diagnosis and Decision Making: Overview and Implications | KFF
The Commonwealth Fund How to Advance Equity in Maternal Health
Maternal health in the United States is in crisis. Not only are rates of death and severe complication on the rise, but wide racial and geographic disparities in maternal health outcomes are increasingly evident. This new report highlights several potential policy solutions, from increasing use of telehealth in rural areas to ensuring continuous health coverage from pregnancy through one year postpartum. Review the report: Policies Reducing Maternal Morbidity Mortality Enhancing Equity | Commonwealth Fund
National Academy of Medicine Commentary: Dismantling Systemic Racism and Advancing Health Equity throughout Research
Authors of a new NAM Perspectives commentary identify three broad areas for action to address systemic racism in the context of research infrastructure: bridge what is known to what can be done to eliminate health disparities and inequities, value all ways of knowing in research and research funding and incentivize higher education to redefine access and advancement. Review the report: Dismantling Systemic Racism and Advancing Health Equity throughout Research - National Academy of Medicine
Archived Events and Webinars
Alliance for Health Policy, Introduction to Environmental Health and Policy
In this briefing, experts discussed what comprises the field of environmental health and its corresponding policy, outlined the major players at the state and federal level, highlighted immediate policy opportunities and how health disparities and inequities are tied to environmental factors and offer thoughts on how to close policy gaps. View the recording: Introduction to Environmental Health and Policy – Alliance for Health Policy
Alliance for Health Policy Policymaking to Support the Health of Native American People
During this meeting, experts overviewed the demographics of the Native American population in the United States as well as the current policy and regulatory landscape that guides and directs Native American health care infrastructure. The audience learned about the historical and prevailing social determinants of health faced by this population alongside potential policy solutions at the community, tribal, and federal levels. View the recording: Policymaking to Support the Health of Native American People – Alliance for Health Policy
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine COVID-19, Health Equity, and the Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Communities
The Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity held a virtual workshop on how the COVID-19 pandemic has uniquely affected the Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian (AA/PI/NH) communities. The workshop featured invited presentations and explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and hate crimes targeting Asian populations on their health and well-being, including vaccination and testing participation rates, mental health consequences and access to cultural and linguistically competent services. Watch video: COVID 19 Health Equity and the Asian American Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Communities A Workshop Day 2 | National Academies
Health Resources and Services Administration/Department of Health and Human Services Learning Series on Advancing Equity in Maternal and Infant Health
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, hosted a webinar series that defined health equity, highlighted disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes among disproportionally affected populations and identified systemic issues that are contributing to these health disparities. The sessions engaged participants in interactive discussions to identify strategies to improve maternal and infant health equity among communities of color and marginalized and rural populations, as well as strategies for addressing systemic issues in health care organizations that may adversely impact maternal and infant health. Listen to session 1: Learning Series: Advancing Equity in Maternal & Infant Health and 2: Learning Series: Advancing Equity in Maternal & Infant Health
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Housing Instability and Health
The Housing Instability and Health webinar was hosted by NASEM's Roundtable on Population Health Improvement and the Response and Resilient Recovery Strategic Science Initiative. This 90-minute webinar explored housing stability as a key factor in community health and well-being, and featured discussions of some of the evidence-informed strategies that may be implemented by health sector organizations along with their partners. Watch the recording: Housing Stability and Health A Webinar | National Academies
RECENT NEWS ARTICLES
For recent news articles, please visit our website www.chausa.org/disparities/overview. News about disparities and COVID-19 can also be found on CHA's Coronavirus Resources page: