Article
Health care organizations join forces to promote equity
Author(s):
New coalition provides steps members can take to end racial injustice in health care
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) are joining forces to promote equity in health care.
In a May 30 news release, the two organizations announced they have launched Rise to Health: A National Coalition for Equity in Health Care with the goal “creating a transformed health care ecosystem where everyone has the power, circumstances and resources to achieve optimal health.”
The coalition says it will work to:
· Mobilize and equip individuals, health care organizations, and health care industry actors with concrete skills and tools;
· Sustainably change mindsets and narrative within health care, and;
· Influence and fundamentally change policy, payment, education, standards, and practices
“As leaders in medicine, we know that ending systemic racism in health care will help end health inequities for everyone,” said AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., M.D. The unique, cohesive national strategy behind Rise to Health Coalition will help make progress in advancing racial justice across health care and eliminating inequities in the health of each one of our patients.”
“The Rise to Health Coalition is making health equity actionable,” said IHI President and CEO Kedar Mate, M.D. We are decidedly and urgently moving beyond describing the problem of health inequities to creating real results for real people.”
The coalition says it will bring together health care professional societies, payers, and pharmaceutical, research and biotech organizations to “work collaboratively in prioritizing health equity and addressing systemic disparities.” Examples of specific actions, and the groups pledging to undertake them include:
- eliminating race-based clinical algorithms (professional societies),
- identifying inequities through harm event reporting (individual practitioners),
- addressing inequities by using quality and safety methods (health care organizations),
- advancing equitable benefits, networks and incentives (payers), and
- creating access and affordability for therapeutics (pharma/biotech/research
In addition, the coalition will provide tools to help individuals and organizations advance, strengthen, and align their current health equity efforts.
Founding collaborator organizations listed on the coalition’s website include AHIP, the American Hospital Association, the AMA, the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the Groundwater Institute, Health Begins, the IHI, the National Association of Community Health Centers, PolicyLink, and Race Forward.
