Health equity became an increasingly important topic this past year. There has been a significant increase in initiatives from legislators and policymakers, as well as increased funding toward historically underserved groups. We reported on Feb. 28 that “Washington has become the second state to begin to create Health Equity Zones to support communities in addressing the disparities they want to prioritize. The effort in the Evergreen State is modeled after one in Rhode Island.”
“In 2021, Washington passed legislation to create Health Equity Zones. According to the state Department of Health (DOH), the first year will emphasize developing partnerships and community-centered processes to sustain this work long-term. DOH is also looking for continued funding and other resources that can support the future of the initiative.
“DOH is working to establish a Community Advisory Council. The goal is to develop zone criteria this spring, and identify specific zones this summer, with support of two to three zones beginning in the fall.”
On April 12 we reported that “LaShawn McIver, M.D., M.P.H., is director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of Minority Health. On April 12, at CMS’ annual conference focused on healthcare quality, she spoke about the deeply rooted connection between equity and quality and how CMS is approaching quality improvement with an equity lens.”
That said, “‘We are working to advance health equity by designing, implementing and operationalizing policies and programs that support health for all of the people CMS serves,’ she explained. ‘Equity and quality are not one and the same. However, they are interconnected at the deepest level, and CMS firmly believes that we cannot have true quality without equity.’
“CMS weaves quality and equity together in several ways, she said.
“‘Our Office of Minority Health is leading a data-driven approach to identifying structural barriers and uniting the agency to eliminate them. We are guided by the key considerations put forward by our stakeholders and partners to help align and focus our work,’ she said. ‘Our providers, plans, individuals and community organizations set our priorities and we remain committed to adapting, adjusting and course-correcting to ensure we are meeting the needs of those we serve first and foremost” She also noted that the centers within CMS will work across HHS to tackle such issues as improving maternal health outcomes, advancing behavioral health, and being better prepared for the next pandemic or other health emergency.’”
This year, funding for health equity also increased. We reported on April 13 that “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced via a press release nearly $16 million to strengthen Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Programs through seven awards supporting eight states.”
The release states that “These awards will advance data and technology innovations to support positive maternal and child health outcomes in states and communities, and focus on addressing health disparities. This announcement comes as the Biden-Harris Administration recognizes Black Maternal Health Week, which takes place this year from April 11 –17, 2022. The Administration has championed policies to improve maternal health and equity and addressing the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis.”
Further, “In addition, HRSA is announcing the availability of up to $9 million through the State Maternal Health Innovation and Data Capacity Program to expand the State Maternal Health Innovation and Implementation Program. This program supports state-level development and implementation of proven strategies to improve maternal health and address maternal health disparities. The new funding will continue to build state capacity to deliver high-quality maternity care services, provide training for maternal care clinicians, and enhance the quality of state-level maternal health data through better collection, reporting and analysis. The program will fund up to nine cooperative agreements, and each will receive up to $1 million over five years.”
We reported in May that “According to a May 11 press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $5 million for community health centers, funded by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to enhance equitable access to life-saving cancer screenings. The funding supports President Biden’s Unity Agenda and his call to action on cancer screening and early detection as part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative to end cancer.”
The release states that “Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with nearly 600,000 deaths annually. In 2021, there were an estimated 281,550 instances of breast cancer and 14,480 instances of cervical cancer diagnosed in women, and 149,500 instances of colorectal cancers diagnosed in both men and women. Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer can be prevented or detected early through appropriate screening and timely follow-up care. Yet, significant disparities exist in screening and follow-up care after an abnormal cancer screening test result, based on an individual’s race or ethnicity, income, and insurance status.”
On June 23, we reported that “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made advancing health equity a top priority, but a review by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that inconsistencies in how race and ethnicity data is gathered inhibit the work of identifying and improving health disparities within the Medicare population.
“OIG explained that it analyzed the race and ethnicity data in Medicare’s enrollment database, the only source of this information for all enrolled beneficiaries. These race and ethnicity data are derived from source data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the results of an algorithm that CMS applies to the source data.
“The OIG assessed the accuracy of Medicare’s enrollment race and ethnicity data for different groups by comparing them to self-reported data for a subset of beneficiaries who reside in nursing homes. Race and ethnicity data that are self-reported are considered the most accurate. It also assessed the adequacy of Medicare’s data using the federal standards for collecting race and ethnicity data as a benchmark. OIG found that Medicare’s enrollment race and ethnicity data are less accurate for some groups, particularly for beneficiaries identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic.”
On Sept. 20, we reported that “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced via a press release more than $3 million in grants to eight organizations for an initiative focusing on policy effectiveness to promote Black youth mental health (BYMH).”
Moreover, “According to the release, the initiative will last for three years and will help identify health and wellness policies that are effective in improving BYMH—including suicide prevention. The awardees will use a policy assessment framework to identify existing policies expected to promote mental health in Black youth and then test the impact of the policies in various settings (schools, faith-based organizations, community centers, health centers, or other community agency settings).”
Lastly, On Dec. 6, we reported that “The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has joined with the American Medical Association, Race Forward, and other organizations to create ‘Rise to Health: A National Coalition for Equity in Healthcare.’
“One of the coalition’s goals is to catalyze individuals and organizations committed to health equity and justice to build, change, and transform healthcare with shared solutions and collective actions. “The time has come for a system-wide approach – where healthcare organizations, individual practitioners, payers, professional societies, and pharmaceutical, research, and biotech organizations come together and align activities to make the whole ecosystem of healthcare more equitable, said IHI President and CEO Kedar Mate, M.D., speaking at the IHI Forum taking place in Orlando.
“Other founding members of the coalition include the Groundwater Institute, the American Hospital Association, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, Health Begins, and PolicyLink. Funding support comes from the AMA, IHI, Genentech, and the Commonwealth Fund.”
