Health Equity Grant Program
Safe, equitable and high quality health care for all is the common goal of an innovative partnership between the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). To spread this initiative to support underserved communities throughout Illinois, a new partnership grant program was launched in 2020 to help hospitals and health systems expand services related to maternal and child health, pediatric asthma, adult diabetes, breast cancer and geographic disparities, including access to care in rural communities. As a result, 13 Illinois hospitals received grants to support new programs designed to better connect with patients and eliminate health care disparities.
“Finding innovative ways to bridge health equity gaps in many underserved communities is an urgent priority, especially in midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. By earning these highly sought-after grant funding awards, recipients throughout the state will be able to better identify ways to serve more people in their communities at this critical time.”
Elisa Arespacochaga
AHA Vice President, Physician Alliance and IFDHE Interim Executive Lead
“We created this grant program to stimulate more hospitals, with support of their executive leadership, to commit to identifying and eliminating disparities in the care they deliver. This program is just one of the ways that we are supporting providers on their quality journey as we integrate equity of care into our business relationships.”
Derek J. Robinson, M.D.
Vice-president and Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
Want to Know More?
Please contact Derrick Mitchell, Manager, Research and Insights, at dmitchell@aha.org with any further questions regarding the Health Equity Grant Program.