IFDHE Blogs

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations.

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. This tradition started back in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots – a series of demonstrations that were brought on by the continued mistreatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in New York City.

“The power of visibility can never be underestimated.” – Margaret Cho.

Each year, health professionals and community organizers team up for National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, held March 21-25).

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.

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. 

The IFDHE's Fall Enrichment Program (FEP) is a paid internship opportunity designed to advance the careers of young health care leaders, strengthen the diverse pipeline of talent and promote diversity and representation within the workforce.

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.

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.

For March 2021, some communities are launching the Transgender Month of Action for Healthcare Equality. The month, specifically focused on the health care needs of transgender and gender non-conforming people, aims to address barriers and areas for growth and highlight victories.

World AIDS Day 2020 is unlike any other as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues. Many living with HIV have questions on whether they are at increased risk of serious health issues. Helpful resource links are included in this blog post.

Health care isn't something else we do, it is at the heart of everything we do. Health care organizations have many compelling reasons for making health equity a top priority. They include opportunities for providing tremendous value to patients, hospitals and the health care delivery system.

Native American Heritage Month reminds us about the devastating and disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. It also presents an opportunity to re-focus efforts to help these communities overcome social and economic obstacles to improve overall health.

Three hospitals and health systems are recognized for earning 2020 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Awards.

During National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July, the AHA and its Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) developed several new resources to aid hospitals and health systems in reaching out to communities that lack adequate access to mental and behavioral health care.

Right before the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity (IFDHE) convened more than 65 leaders, trustees and clinicians from rural hospitals across the country at AHA’s annual Rural Conference. We inquired about strategies for health equity in rural communities, as well as these communities’ most common areas of disparity or need.

In this Spotlight Feature interview, Jean Ricci Goodman, M.D., and Aparna Sharma, M.D., discuss the program’s development and how it’s designed to improve maternal and child health in Loyola’s surrounding communities.

Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., M.S., IFDHE Board Chairperson, Senior Vice President, Community Health & Equity and Chief Wellness & Diversity Officer,Henry Ford Health System, Detroit answers questions regarding innovative solutions for delivering mental and behavioral health care services

The American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity has developed new REaL data resources and tools to help health care providers address health care disparities in the fight against COVID-19 and beyond.

This Pride Month, the LGBTQ community and its allies celebrate with an aching absence — amid shifting cultural and social tides. Larry Kramer, a literary giant and iconoclast who used words printed and spoken as the engines for his long career, died late last month at the age of 84.