Technical Assistance Topics

Topic Description

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Improving health equity

Monday, January 01, 0001

Health equity means reaching the highest possible level of health for all people. Health inequities are a result of health, economic and social policies that have disadvantaged communities of color, immigrants and refugees, and other diverse groups over generations. These disadvantages result in tragic health consequences for diverse groups and increased health care costs for everyone. Achieving health equity supports the triple aim of better health, better care and lower costs. Supporting CCO leadership engagement and staff education helps to build organizational priorities and strategic intent to incorporate health equity principles and achieve equitable outcomes in systems planning and design.

Health equity spans many topics:

Ensuring communications, outreach, member engagement and services are tailored to cultural, health literacy, and linguistic needs.
Ensuring that the culturally diverse needs of members are met
Developing a quality improvement plan focused on eliminating racial, ethnic and linguistic disparities in access, quality of care, experience of care, and outcomes

Strategies to address health equity include:

Gathering accurate data about race, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity
Managing projects, such as the implementation of pilots, to address identified inequities
Designing and implementing programs to close health equity gaps
Training CCO staff to apply a health equity lens to quality improvement work

The OHA Office of Equity and Inclusion serves as a leader and catalyst in helping OHA promote equitable health and human services for communities of color, Indian tribal governments and other multicultural groups.

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