Health Equity Blogs

A history-making event that changed the lives of Black Americans more than 150 years ago is now being recognized as a federal holiday. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden signed a bill establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day – commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S..

In this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Leon Caldwell, AHA’s senior director of health equity strategies and in

Each June, LGBTQ people and supporters join together to recognize Pride Month - celebrating history and advocating for continued change. Although Pride is now widely celebrated, it is important to note that the journey to an inclusive Pride is ongoing.

Hospitals and health system leaders are committing to increasing diversity and inclusion in the board room.

Today’s podcast features how Esperanza Health Centers - a federally qualified health center in Chicago – has worked to keep their community healthy throughout the pandemic.

Reliance on digital tools can exacerbate barriers to care among certain populations and may be less accessible to people with limited English proficiency. As these technologies become ubiquitous, now is the time to examine digital health from an equity lens to ensure that no community is left behind.

Tomorrow, May 25, marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death shined a spotlight on the systemic racism and inequities in many aspects of our society. These include inequities in health and health care. 

In this podcast, Rochelle Archuleta, director of post acute care policy for the AHA, is joined by Dr. Kimberly Avila Edwards, Director of Advocacy and External Affairs, and Jaeson Fournier, chief executive officer at Community Care, about their collaboration to develop a successful mass vaccination campaign targeting the Latino community in the Austin, Texas.

Priya Bathija, vice president of AHA’s Strategic Initiatives, and Robyn Begley, CEO of American Organization for Nursing Leadership and chief nursing officer and senior vice president at the AHA, discuss the role of nurses in achieving health equity, screening for social needs and advocating for policy change.

What does it take to become an everyday champion for advancing health equity? How do hospitals and health systems successfully transition from planning to taking action and creating real cultural change? 

In this podcast, Doug Shaw, AHA senior vice president of field engagement, speaks with Rod Hochman, president and CEO of Providence and 2021 AHA Board Chair and Terry Myerson, CEO of Truveta, about the platform and its possibilities.

In this episode, I was delighted to talk with Stacey Stewart, president and CEO of March of Dimes, and present her with AHA’s 2020 Award of Honor for her organization’s work during eight decades to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies.

In this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Sara Jumping Eagle, M.D., and Kaylee Merrell, R.N., of the Indian Health Service discuss the plan to reduce the disproportionate COVID-19 infection rates in Indigenous communities through vaccine distribution and an administration strategy with national and local partners.

SACRED Birth study’s survey tool called a Patient Reported Experience Measure of OBstetric racism©, also known as the

April is National Minority Health Month. With COVID-19 having a disproportionate impact in communities of color, emphasis on improving access to vaccines as they become more widely available and eliminating health care inequities is critical.

On April 7, the American Hospital Association brought together experts from across the health care field for a national conversation dedicated to maternal health equity. 

Many of the digital solutions we relied on during the pandemic will remain, making digital health equity, including digital access and literacy, even more important. As hospitals and health systems design and implement digital solutions, it will be imperative to take proactive steps so all individuals have the opportunity to engage with these tools.

A new Market Insights report from the AHA Center for Health Innovation describes how to use data to build new capabilities that improve health outcomes for patients and communities.

On this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Germaine Smith-Baugh, president and CEO of the Urban League of Broward County in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., talks about combating the COVID-19 pandemic through testing, vaccinations and education within the community, which include people hardest hit by the pandemic.

On this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Esther Corpuz, CEO of Alivio Medical Center in Chicago, talks about combatting the COVID-19 pandemic through testing, vaccinations and education within the community.