Day 1 Accelerating Health Equity Conference Coverage

More than 1,000 people gathered May 7 for the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference in Kansas City, Mo. During this afternoon’s opening session, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health and 2024 chair of the AHA Board of Trustees, called out the “power of partnership” — among hospitals and health systems, patients, community members, and community and public health organizations — as crucial to identifying and removing barriers to equitable health care.  

Opening day highlights included:

• Keynote remarks from Clint Smith, the #1 bestselling author of “How the Word Is Passed” and a staff writer at The Atlantic.  
• A breakout session on how hospitals can better address social drivers of health, including integrating screening and referral systems in electronic health records and collaborating with community-based organizations to improve care coordination. Speakers included leaders from ChristianaCare, Memorial Healthcare System and LSU Health Sciences Center.  
• Discussion by CHRISTUS Health and LMH Health on strategies for leadership and governing boards to prioritize health equity.  

Five health organizations received the AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award from Conroy during the opening session: Essentia Health, John Muir Health, University Hospitals, Munson Healthcare and Palomar Health.