IFDHE Blogs

We must address the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities that increase the risk of negative perinatal outcomes for women of color.

During this National Minority Health Month, I encourage you all to learn more about the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S. and focus on diversity, inclusion and health equity to advance health across the nation.

In this AHA Stat Blog, Institute for Diversity and Health Equity President and CEO Duane Reynolds shares some takeaways from the recent ACHE conference and highlights a number of efforts AHA is involved in to help the field increase diversity and achieve health equity. 

This week, as part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival’s Interactive Health and MedTech track, the American Hospital Association and hospital leaders have been sharing how hospitals and health systems are transforming to advance health in their communities. 

Please consider applying for the award and sharing how your organization is improving health equity and value.

At last month’s AHA Executive Forum, Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., senior vice president of community health and equity and chief wellness and diversity officer at Henry Ford Health System; José R. Sánchez, president and CEO of Norwegian American Hospital; John H. Vassall, M.D., physician executive for quality and safety at Qualis Health; and Sanjay Malaviya, president and CEO of RL Solutions; discussed how health equity data, inclusive leadership and more can improve patient outcomes.

Reynolds says the Institute is poised to be a convener of the AHA’s diverse constituency and will elevate the relevance of its expertise and educational programming, along with introducing new analytical insights, as it continues to guide members in their pursuit of the advancement of diversity, inclusion and health equity.

Last week’s Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care brought together individuals across the health care system for a conversation to accelerate, amplify and take action toward creating a better future. 

Three years ago, the AHA launched the #123forEquity pledge campaign to accelerate progress toward improving health equity, asking hospitals and health systems to take action in three areas: increasing the collection and use of race, ethnicity, language preference and other socio-demographic data; increasing cultural competency training; and increasing diversity in leadership and governance. A fourth area – improving and strengthening community partnerships – was added last year. 

Hospitals are using CHWs to expand access to care and achieve better health outcomes, particularly among underserved communities.