Improving Health Equity Understanding Health Disparities Initiatives to Improve Health Equity Your Role In Improving Health Equity

Four Health Disparities that Exist in the US Socioeconomic factors: status Race-African Americans, American Indians, and Latinos-worse than whites even when socioeconomic status is the same Variation in HealthCare quality Access to HealthCare

HealthCare Equity vs HealthCare Quality Justice-A just, fair society Equal treatment for individuals and groups Health disparities come from an unjust social system. They are unwanted and avoidable differences in health. Equal to ALL, no matter race, socioeconomic status, education or income.

Health Dispairites vs Health Difference Health Disparity Unfair social systems: income, job type, education level Referred to as differences in Healthcare that are preventable and unfair Health difference Biological causes: genetics or age

Institutional discrimination Experiences Internalized Racism

Initiatives to Improve Health Equity Community Based HealthCare ACO’s Mobile Clinics

Beyond HealthCare-The Early Collaborative Years EVIDENCE: Poverty and disease are connected

Your Role in Improving Health Equity ONE small step… Implicit Bias Conscious Unconscious CHALLENGE-take the test! Implicit Bias by Harvard School of Public Health @ https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest/html. Acknowledge it-NO SHAME! do not allow it to contribute to disparities Work to embrace diverse perspectives

Be Aware of Stress Level Start with Self Recognize Understand Be Aware of Stress Level Aim to Empathize Build Your Confidence Approach as a Partner

Roadmap to Reducing Disparities: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Link quality and equity Create a culture of equity Diagnose the disparity Design the activity Secure the buy-in, asking others to help Implement change

Create a Culture of Equity Improve HealthCare Equity Small steps= HUGE changes BREAK the BIAS