Health Equity in Health Systems: Translating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the Clinical Enterprise

Chair(s)

• 

  Jean Raphael, MD, MPH (he/him/his)

  Professor of Pediatrics
  Pediatrics
  Baylor College of Medicine
  Houston, Texas, United States
• 

  Joseph Wright, MD MPH (he/him/his)

  Professor (adjunct) of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine and Health Policy & Management
  George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health
  Itasca, Illinois, United States

Session

Description: Pediatric departments and children’s hospitals increasingly promote the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to address structural racism and ameliorate health inequities. Thus far, most efforts have been concentrated within the academic ecosystem with changes to mission statements, recruitment, performance evaluations, promotional criteria, and creation of trainings, awards, and vice chair roles. Without greater integration into the clinical enterprise, there may be marginal improvements in health equity or missed opportunities to address operational practices that directly propagate inequities in care delivery, quality, and patient experience. Recent changes in the health care industry have elevated health equity as a priority within the clinical enterprise. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), along with standard-setting organizations such as the Joint Commission, National Committee for Quality Assurance, and US News and World Report hospital rankings have established new quality measures for health equity. Furthermore, CMS has released a new framework to advance health equity. Consequently, health care systems have created large-scale initiatives and empowered chief executives to focus on equity in order to catalyze system-wide improvements. This Hot Topics Symposium will begin with a brief overview of newly released health equity standards, quality measures, and frameworks from various regulatory agencies and payers. Subsequent presentations will focus on approaches to operationalize new equity-focused measures that center on families and communities. We will conclude with discussion of incentive alignment and the role of institutional leadership in implementing strategies that serves the needs of families, ameliorates inequities, and fulfills established standards.

Presentations:

• 3:45 PM – 3:55 PM ET

  The Elevation of Health Equity into Accreditation Standards and Quality Measurement for Health Systems
  

  Speaker: Joseph Wright, MD MPH (he/him/his) – George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health
• 3:55 PM – 4:10 PM ET

  The Emergence and Empowerment of Executive Roles to Address Health Equity
  

  Speaker: Lou Hart, MD (he/him/his) – Yale New Haven Health / Yale School of Medicine
• 4:10 PM – 4:25 PM ET

  Examining the Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry in Clinical Pathways
  

  Speaker: Amy Starmer, MD, MPH (she/her/hers) – Baystate Children's Hospital
• 4:25 PM – 4:35 PM ET

  Centering Families and Communities in Health System Efforts to Advance Health Equity
  

  Speaker: Tamera Coyne-Beasley, MD, MPH (she/her/hers) – University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 4:35 PM – 5:15 PM ET

  The Role of Institutional Leadership in Harmonizing Clinical Quality, Patient Experience, and Health Equity Standards
  

  Speaker: Leslie Walker-Harding, MD (she/her/hers) – University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital