Perspective: Advancing Health for All
The theme for this year’s National Minority Health Month, “Partnering for Health Equity,” couldn’t be timelier.
The AHA has long believed that tackling health disparities and promoting diversity in health care leadership is critical to ensuring the highest quality of care for everyone. Partnering with others holds the key to success. To that end, membership in the AHA now includes membership in our affiliate, the newly renamed Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. The Institute supports efforts to improve diversity, inclusion and health equity through three areas of focus:
- Expertise: Knowledge and strategies to support members in providing quality, equitable care.
- Education: A national repository of tools, case studies and programs, including conferences, webinars, trainings, regional symposiums and more.
- Agent of Change: Accelerating progress through efforts such as the #123forEquity campaign and our Summer and Fall Enrichment Programs, which are helping the next generation of diverse health care leaders get the training and exposure they need.
We’re also collaborating with other community stakeholders such as the National Urban League, insurers like CIGNA, and the Disparities Solution Center at Massachusetts General Hospital to spread best practices and improve health for specific populations. These are just some examples of the many exciting collaborations under way and more are planned for this year.
Achieving care equity and greater diversity is a crucial part of solving our country’s current – and future – health care challenges. And hospitals and health systems are making great strides. You can find case studies and more on our website.
But we’re not done – not by a long shot. If you haven’t checked out the Institute recently, please visit them online to explore their resources and learn more about the upcoming National Leadership and Education Conference – June 28-29 in Chicago.