Health Equity Blogs

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We spoke with Leon D. Caldwell, AHA’s senior director for health equity strategies and innovation and one of the Health Equity Roadmap’s architects, about its importance to hospitals and health systems.
Though recognizing implicit bias is important, hospitals must have an action plan to address it.
by Wright L. Lassiter III, Chair, American Hospital Association
This week is Black Maternal Health Week, and April is National Minority Health Month. It’s an opportunity to “deepen the conversation” about black maternal health in the U.S. and to highlight the “important role individuals and organizations can play” in helping to reduce health disparities and improve the health of racial and ethnic minority communities.
by Priya Bathija and Aisha Syeda
According to latest data from the CDC, the U.S. maternal mortality rate, already significantly higher than in comparable countries, continues to rise, specifically for women of color.
by Joy A. Lewis, by Nancy Myers
Now is the time to evaluate how far we have come in closing gaps in health disparities, assess where health care is on the equity journey and take what we’ve learned to strengthen our organizations and communities through collaborative and innovative work — by investing in our neighborhoods and one another.
by Leon D. Caldwell, Ph.D. — Senior Director, Health Equity Strategies and Innovation
With the biennial DEI benchmark survey now available through March 15, read AHA’s Leon Caldwell’s blog addressing the hesitancy related to taking the survey, as well as strategies to manage said anxieties. For questions related to your participation in the survey, please contact AHA’s survey support team at surveysupport@aha.org.
by Joy A. Lewis
February is Black History Month, and this year’s theme – Black Health and Wellness – recognizes medical scholars and health care providers. The theme is especially timely as our nation and health care system continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine has expanded to children, yet families continue to have questions about how to best keep their children safe and healthy. In this new podcast series, Joining Hands to Build Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence, we are speaking with leaders from three national organizations to discuss how to address vaccine hesitancy, specifically in historically marginalized communities. AHA’s Julia Resnick, director of strategic initiatives, moderates today’s podcast. She is joined by Lydia Isaac, Vice President for Health Equity and Policy at the National Urban League. They will be discussing the importance of clear communication and outreach to build vaccine confidence in the Black community. This podcast was funded in part by a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The contents of this resource do not necessarily represent the policy of CDC or HHS, and should not be considered an endorsement by the Federal Government.
This blog post offers an overview on how to assess your organization's DEI understanding so they can make a plan to move forward in the work. This organization also links to multiple resources on DEI training, including webinars, a resource library, and success stories.
by Joy A. Lewis
Hospitals and health systems are today in the midst of a rapidly changing health care landscape. It sometimes feels like changes are weekly, if not daily, and the need to be constantly responsive can sometimes compromise the capacity of hospital leaders to be reflective and think about what’s happening on a broader, societal level.