Check out the latest health equity news, health observances, events, and resources supporting the IPRO QIN-QIO efforts to eliminate health disparities for Medicare beneficiaries. What’s inside? AHRQ Chartbook on Patient Safety Rural N.C. Community’s Strategies to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine National Evaluation of Social Determinants of Health COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Health Equity Webinar Materials April …
Call to Action: Structural Racism as a Fundamental Driver of Health Disparities: A Presidential Advisory from the American Heart Association March 18, 1-2PM EDT Structural racism has been and remains a fundamental cause of persistent health disparities in the United States. This presidential advisory by the AHA reviews the historical context, current state, and potential …
Webinar on March 18: Structural Racism as a Fundamental Driver of Health Disparities Read More »
March 5, 1:30PM EDT Deep-rooted structural racism, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, have exacerbated inequities within our food system. Millions of people—mostly Black and Latino families—have gone hungry in the past year while high obesity rates put many at risk for severe COVID-19 complications. Grocery store clerks, meat packing plant staff, and farm workers …
Webinar on March 5: Reimagined in America: Advancing Food Justice Read More »
February 24, 11AM-12:30PM EDT The Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) invites you to join a conversation to learn about reframing aging and how it’s important to support healthy aging. This learning opportunity will offer guidance and tools that will help us talk about aging and demographic change in ways that foster greater public understanding of …
Webinar on Feb. 24: Changing the Narrative: What is Reframing Aging and Why it Matters Read More »
February 23, 12-1PM EDT There is no fee to participate in this activity, but pre-registration is required. Join the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) for a discussion on strategies to increase coverage for all recommended vaccines, including COVID-19 and influenza. This webinar will include presentations on disparities by race/ethnicity for influenza vaccination coverage in …
Webinar on Feb. 23: Addressing Disparities in Immunization Rates Read More »
February 22, 6-7PM EDT Healthcare Voices of NH is excited to launch a Zoom Series “Multicultural Perspectives on COVID Vaccinations” on Monday, February 22 from 6-7 pm. Jane Yen, a college student living in Concord, will be a participant. Jayme Simoes, CEO at Louis Karno & Company Communications, will facilitate, and Dr. Walter King, retired virologist and immunologist, will …
Webinar on Feb. 22: Multicultural Perspectives on COVID-19 Vaccinations Read More »
March 4, 3-4PM EDT In celebration of the March anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will be holding weekly webinars throughout the month. The webinar series will focus on understanding the intention of the act and address the trifecta of nutrition, socialization, and health and well-being. Join us on …
Webinar Series Starting on March 4: Nutrition, Socialization, and Health and Well-Being Read More »
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship (IDEA) Committee The Anticoagulation Forum is proud to launch the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship (IDEA) Committee. The IDEA Committee was established to address systemic racism and the resulting health disparities. Through the IDEA Committee, the AC Forum will work to increase awareness and promote diversity in our leadership, membership, and programming. We hope our members will …
AC Forum IDEA Committee & Webinar Series Starting March 18 Read More »
Wednesday, February 24, 2-3PM EDT Senior housing offers a space for older adults to engage and connect with their fellow residents and build a sense of community. While the pandemic has called for physical distancing, the Aging Network has found creative ways to continue offering opportunities for engagement to address social isolation. Hosted by engAGED, …
Webinar on Feb. 24: Addressing Social Isolation Through Senior Housing During COVID-19 Read More »
Join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) this February as it recognizes American Heart Month and Black History Month by helping those affected by heart disease take steps toward better health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups in …
Highlighting Health Disparities During American Heart Month and Black History Month Read More »
Wednesday, February 24, 2-3PM Sixtus Dominguez, a tribal injury prevention specialist, will share strategies, activities, and interventions that can support injury prevention and independence for Native elders. Participants will learn: about 4 evidence-based fall prevention interventions basic fall prevention strategies and assessments some simple activities to help keep elders moving and independent Have questions for …
Webinar on Feb. 24: Fall Prevention for Native Elders Read More »
February is African American History Month, which sheds light on African American culture and health. Heart disease, diabetes, and stroke affect people of all ethnicities. However, certain groups—including African Americans and older individuals—are at greater risk. Knowing more about family health histories and the early detection of predisposed health conditions helps support prevention efforts, effective …
Check out the latest health equity news, health observances, events, and resources supporting the IPRO QIN-QIO efforts to eliminate health disparities for Medicare beneficiaries. What’s inside? Biden Takes Action to Advance Racial Equity & Support Underserved Communities HHS Proposed Modification to HIPAA Privacy Rule will Help Address SDOH Large Majority of Doctors Hold Misconceptions about …
January 28, 2:30–5PM EDT Join Mental Health America (MHA) on Thursday, January 28 for an event on loneliness and social isolation, and learn how MHA’s latest program, Peer Partners in a Box, is helping people with serious mental health conditions. Hear from MHA’s peer expert and Vice President of Peer, Advocacy and Support Services, Patrick …
Webinar on Jan. 28: Beyond Loneliness & Social Isolation Read More »
This Learning Toolbox focuses on cultural and linguistic competency and their importance for helping to eliminate disparities in the delivery of quality healthcare. The Toolbox includes a quick primer, and provides useful links to articles, tools, and resources. Quick Primer What is cultural and linguistic competency? Cultural and linguistic competency in healthcare refers to the …
This Learning Toolbox focuses on health literacy as an important determinant of health equity and outcomes. It includes a quick primer on health literacy, and provides links to articles, tools, and resources to improve the health literacy of organizations and patients. Quick Primer What is health literacy? Health literacy is commonly defined as “the degree …
February 23, 2021, 11AM-12PM EDT This session is part of the Addressing Health Disparities to Reduce Opioid Use Harm SWEEP. Join us on February 23 to discover ways to address how perceptions of addiction differ across racial/ethnic groups. We’ll also cover how using a culturally competent approach to opioid use disorder treatment can increase treatment …
Webinar on Feb. 23: Culturally Competent Approaches to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Read More »
January 19, 2021, 11AM-12PM EDT This session is part of the Addressing Health Disparities to Reduce Opioid Use Harm SWEEP. Join us on January 19 to learn why cultural competency and health literacy are critical for achieving health equity and improving quality of care. Darci Graves, MPP, MA, MA, CMS Office of Minority Health, will …
Check out the latest health equity news, health observances, events, and resources supporting the IPRO QIN-QIO efforts to eliminate health disparities for Medicare beneficiaries. What’s inside? AHRQ 2019 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report HHS OMH Announces New Initiative to Address Hypertension New E&M Coding Guidelines Account for Patients’ Social Risks New CMS Organ Donation …
Join us for our upcoming session on March 23: Stigma Kills: Addressing Opioid Use Disorder By Changing Culture.
Check out the latest health equity news, health observances, events, and resources supporting the IPRO QIN-QIO efforts to eliminate health disparities for Medicare beneficiaries. What’s inside? Mapping Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health and Opportunity Mobile Apps for mHealth and People with Disabilities Health Literacy as a Social Driver of Poor Health Outcomes Whole-of-Government Response …
December 15, 12-1PM EDT Please join Aligning for Health (AFH), Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), and a bipartisan panel of Congressional staff for a virtual briefing that will highlight opportunities in the 117th Congress to support effective and innovative approaches to social determinants of health. Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs) are the social and economic …
Webinar on Dec. 15: Social Determinants of Health Congressional Briefing Read More »
Reducing Food Insecurity and Nutrition-Related Chronic Diseases During COVID-19 Among Medicaid HCBS Beneficiaries January 14, 2021 | 3-4:30PM EDT The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) host a monthly webinar series that invites subject matter experts and practitioners from across the home-and-community-based services (HCBS) spectrum to share …
Hispanic Stress and Resilience During the Holidays December 3, 2–3PM EDT | REGISTER Stress has a significant impact on Hispanic/Latinx populations and is related to the use and misuse of illicit substances and alcohol. This webinar will provide an overview of recent developments in research and practice on stress, acculturation stress, and resilience in these …
According to a report from Trust for America’s Health, the U.S. obesity rate for adults reached 42.4% in 2020, the highest ever recorded, and is based on data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The report notes that the national obesity rate has increased by 26% since 2008. Food insecurity due …
A new report published November in the Lancet found that those who have had COVID-19 are likely to develop anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within 90 days of recovery. The lack of contact with family members and loved ones during quarantine and hospital stays can produce psychological instability. Reports of PTSD symptoms …
Report: 20% of COVID Patients Develop Mental Health Issues Read More »
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently issued a policy statement in Circulation calling out structural racism as a major driver of health disparities in the U.S. The AHA acknowledged that while it had previously published statements addressing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk and disparities among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., those statements had not …
Policy Statement: AHA Recognizes Structural Racism as a Driver of Health Disparities Read More »
A report by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) states that despite significant increases in funding and beds, overall homelessness has been increasing in the U.S. In just five years (2014-2019), unsheltered homelessness increased by 20.5%, and has become a national crisis. In 2020, Congress appropriated over $6.6 billion for targeted homelessness assistance …
Article: Whole-of-Government Response to Homelessness in the U.S. Read More »
Health literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use health information to make decisions about one’s health. People with low health literacy have increased mortality, worse health outcomes, are less engaged in their care, use the emergency room more often, and have higher avoidable healthcare expenditures. In this article, Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD – a …
Article: Health Literacy Should Be Valued as a Social Driver of Poor Health Outcomes Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new toolkit designed for state Medicaid agencies to strengthen infrastructure and develop robust home and community-based services (HCBS) for eligible beneficiaries. The toolkit highlights promising state models and practices for strengthening state infrastructure to increase transitions from institutional settings to community-based settings; prevent or delay …
Resource: CMS Home and Community-Based Services Toolkit Read More »
A conference paper presented at the International Conference on Computers Helping People describes data and analysis on the use and unmet needs of mHealth mobile apps by people with disabilities in the U.S. The paper focuses on several key areas related to user experience in order to map the behavior, interests and needs of people …
Article: Mobile Apps for mHealth and People with Disabilities Read More »
A new interactive mapping tool, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, allows users to view and compare data on a range of indicators for each state and for six racial and ethnic groups. The tool uses data aggregated by the Health Opportunity and Equity (HOPE) Initiative. According to their website, HOPE “provides an …
New Tool: Mapping Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health and Opportunity Read More »
About 1 in every 3 American Indian/Alaska Native older adults, age 65 or older, is at risk for dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart health is closely connected to brain health. Wisdom Keeper Campaign To raise awareness about dementia and encourage elders to keep their minds and hearts healthy, the …
November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to honor those who provide care for their family members and to raise awareness about caregiving needs and challenges. According to the AARP, about one in every five people in the United States cares for an elder or family member with disabilities, and that rate is higher …
For more resources on supporting the behavioral health of elders and Indian Country as a whole, explore the new CMS Tribal Behavioral Health. Who is it for? This site is intended for people seeking behavioral health care for themselves or loved ones, health care providers, tribal leaders, and tribal health directors who would like to …
As the pandemic continues, the behavioral health of nursing home residents continues to be a concern. A new survey of nursing home residents by Altarum looked into how residents’ lives changed due to the pandemic. The survey found social interactions inside and outside of nursing homes have dropped sharply. More than half of the respondents …
Rural communities face their own unique challenges when it comes to accessing and receiving quality health care. Approximately 60 million Americans live in rural areas, with nearly every state having at least one rural county. Research has shown that rural Americans are disproportionately affected by certain health conditions compared to their urban counterparts due to factors …
Serving Low-Income Seniors: Lessons and the Impact of COVID-19 November 6, 12–1PM EDT The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on both low-income communities and seniors in the U.S. This briefing will provide an overview of the complex ecosystem of federal, state, and private programs that coexist to integrate medical, LTSS, and …
Salud America! and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are sharing a research review summarizing current literature on: the social and health impact of poverty the impact of racism and bias on minorities those living in poverty It highlights emerging interventions, policies, and practices that can be implemented to alleviate poverty, improve social cohesion, reduce bias, and …
Report: Achieving a Cohesive Culture for Health Equity in Latino and All Communities Read More »
Community leaders can play a vital role in connecting their communities with important, accurate information about public health and clinical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Community Engagement Alliance offers resources that can help organizations talk with their communities about COVID-19, the vaccines being developed, and the importance of minorities being included …
Resource: NIH COVID-19 Communities Responding Together Read More »
New Jersey-based RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) has launched a culturally tailored and fully integrated initiative to address social determinants of health (SDOH). RWJBH has partnered with NowPow, a digital community referral platform, and ConsejoSano, a patient engagement platform that specializes in linguistically and culturally tailored outreach, to develop a program that screens every patient for SDOH, …
Initiative: RWJBarnabas Health Launches Social Determinants of Health Initiative Read More »
Budget limitations, systemic racism and a mandate to contain costs while maintaining access to quality care have been long-standing challenges for states. According to a National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) report, the rising cost of health care, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities, has created a barrier to accessing quality care. In 2018, 13% of …
Report: How States Can Advance Health Equity & Address Health System Costs Read More »
The National Quality Forum (NQF) recently released a report Improving Diagnostic Quality and Safety/ Reducing Diagnostic Error: Measurement Considerations funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The NQF convened a multi-stakeholder committee to identify recommendations for the practical application of the Diagnostic Process and Outcomes domain of the 2017 Diagnostic Quality and …
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report in September that tracks spending to address the opioid epidemic across the federal government for fiscal year 2019. The report provides insight into how funds are being spent at the state and county-level. Reports from states and counties across the country suggest opioid-involved overdose deaths are rising in …
Report: Tracking FY2019 Federal Funding to Combat the Opioid Crisis Read More »
A study published in Circulation: Heart Failure concluded that women age 18-55 with Acute Myocardial Infarction – Cardiogenic Shock (AMI-CS), are treated less aggressively and experience higher in-hospital mortality compared to men. Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death in patients with AMI who reach the hospital alive, with mortality rates greater than …
Article: Women Get Worse Care for Heart Attacks with Cardiogenic Shock Read More »
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Health Equity released its 2019-2020 Health Equity Report on October 14. The report has a special feature on housing and health inequalities in the U.S. and shows the impact of housing status and housing conditions – a key social determinant – on population health and health …
Improve Health Equity During Hispanic Heritage Month From September 15 – October 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH), along with the IPRO QIN-QIO, honors National Hispanic Heritage Month. This year, CMS OMH is prioritizing health for the nation’s 60 million Hispanics by encouraging annual flu shots and …
Hispanic Heritage Month: Resources for Patients, Families, & Caregivers Read More »
Improve Health Equity During Hispanic Heritage Month This year, as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) honors National Hispanic Heritage Month, we hope to focus on prioritizing health for the nation’s 60 million Hispanics by encouraging annual flu shots and sharing resources to help Hispanics take steps toward …
Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15 Read More »
The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) released the fifth edition of the Healthy People initiative, which builds on knowledge gained over the past four decades to address current and emerging public health priorities and challenges. Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade. …
Healthy People 2030 Initiative: Building a healthier future for all Read More »
A Culture of Equity blog by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation asks readers to imagine enduring the COVID-19 pandemic without running water, reliable internet, or affordable gas and electric. As the outbreak spread across the U.S., the influence of these utilities on health became much clearer. Running water is essential for washing hands to prevent …
The success of a barbershop hypertension intervention for Blacks continued with the addition of a telemedicine component to reduce costs and improve efficiency, according to a pilot study. Blood pressure fell from an average of 155.1/84.9 mm Hg at baseline to 126.4/75.0 mm Hg after 12 months among Black men who received the intervention. The …
Article: Black Barbershop Hypertension Intervention Gets Telemedicine Update Read More »
On September 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Rural Action Plan, the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in over 18 years. The action plan provides a roadmap to strengthen departmental coordination to better serve the approximately 57 million people who live in rural areas and make up …
North Carolina has created the nation’s first statewide infrastructure connecting healthcare and human services called NCCARE360. Through a public-private partnership, the state developed this technology platform to coordinate whole-person care, uniting traditional healthcare settings and organizations that address non-medical drivers of health, often referred to as social determinants of health. The system is available in …
The Vermont food relief program call Everyone Eats! helps supplement meals for residents experiencing food insecurity while also supporting local restaurants and farmers. The program, being touted as a model for other states, pays restaurants to prepare meals for those in need, and stipulates that 10% of the food be sourced from local farms. Food …
A study published in JAMA suggests that Black people are less likely to receive hospice care and more likely to receive intensive treatment in the last six months of life, regardless of cause of death, compared to White people. Researchers examined 1,212 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died of natural causes between 2013 and 2015. Overall, …
Article: Racial Disparities Persist in Hospice Care and End-of-Life Treatment Read More »
The authors of this commentary in the NEJM Catalyst digital journal outline a four-tier model that offers a framework for interconnected measures to advance equity for patients and healthcare staff. The lack of standards and benchmarks contribute to a fragmented equity landscape where: organizations stumble across and/or react to inequities rather than systematically and proactively …
Article: Pragmatic Framework for Establishing Meaningful Measurements for Equity Read More »
In a research article published in PLOS Medicine (August 2020), patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are hospitalized for serious infections requiring prolonged intravenous antibiotics may face barriers to discharge, which could prolong length of stay (LOS) and increase financial burden. Researchers used the 2016 National Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative database of all …
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity are working with IBM Watson Health to develop a method to measure the impact of hospitals on community health and equity, for possible inclusion in the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals Program. The U.S. has experienced a decline in life expectancy …
Initiative: How Can Hospitals Improve the Health of their Communities? Read More »
This published article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (August 2020) describes a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 positive patients who were hospitalized between February 27 and April 12, 2020. The main measures were readmission or return to the emergency department following discharge for COVID-19 infection. Of the 2864 discharged patients, 103 (3.6%) returned …
Article: Respiratory distress the cause of most post-COVID hospital readmissions Read More »
The CMS Innovation Center recently announced the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model to address disparities by providing a path for rural communities to transform health care delivery by leveraging innovative financial arrangements combined with operational and regulatory flexibilities. The Model aims to: Increase financial stability for rural providers by providing up-front investments …
Initiative: CMS Announces CHART Model for Improving Rural Health Read More »
