Tom Cassels’ Post

Everyone can feel it—there’s been a substantial shift in energy around DEI initiatives in America. As companies revise their DEI commitments, I know many of us in health care are watching and wondering what this means for health equity. For the latest Preprint out today, I investigated why as DEI wanes, health equity may actually be waxing. One key finding: health care purchasers today know disproportionate outcomes are unsustainable. Health equity can be a true solution—but in order to actually produce better results, services need to be purpose-built for the populations they seek to serve. An unexpected example of this for health care may actually be The Walt Disney Company…as their former head of multicultural audience engagement Julie Ann Crommett explained. I also spoke with Margaret O'Kane, President of the NCQA and Ankoor Shah MD, MBA, MPH who spent many years advising corporate America on health equity strategies. It’s against this backdrop that I’m also thrilled to share the news that Maven Clinic became the first digital health company to achieve NCQA Health Equity accreditation today, which in the industry, is the gold standard of what excellence looks like. Our Director of Health Equity Dawn Godbolt, Ph.D. led the charge, putting teams, talent, dollars, and data behind this project for two years. As Dawn often reminds me, health equity is fundamentally aspirational. It’s something every day we must work towards. At Maven, we are committed to that work. https://lnkd.in/gjA5yP4m

It’s crucial to arm ourselves with the right tools to advance health equity in our communities. RWJF HPF (The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) offers a wealth of resources designed to empower us in this mission. Check out these powerful tools ⤵ 🔷 Data Gathering Websites 🔷 ▶ Child Opportunity Index: Measures 29 factors influencing child health and well-being, highlighting disparities in access to essentials like healthy foods and safe housing. ▶ City Health Dashboard: Provides data on over 40 health measures for 900+ cities, covering critical metrics like birthweight and smoking rates. ▶ Life Expectancy Calculator: Estimates life expectancy across various demographics, revealing community disparities. ▶ CUSP Database: Tracks state COVID-19 policies and their impacts on the most affected communities, such as policies on relief programs and eviction protections. 🔷 Books Worth Reading 🔷 ▶ Black Girl Shining and Black Boy Shining by researcher, educator, and advocate Dr. Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt. ▶ The Beautiful Darkness by Joshunda Sanders ▶ The Contagion Next Time by Sandro Galea Powerful data combined with collective wisdom can help us shape more equitable and just communities. Dive into these resources and let’s work together to create change! ✨ At VMG, we are committed to breaking new ground in health equity by leveraging our extensive expertise in management consulting across public health, technology, and military domains. Serving diverse clients including government bodies, commercial sector organizations, academic institutions, and non-profit entities around the globe, VMG's innovative solutions address the most complex challenges. Our team of experts works diligently behind the scenes, allowing our clients to maintain their focus on the broader vision. We invite you to partner with us in this transformative journey. Let's advance health equity together by integrating strategic solutions that empower communities and foster inclusive growth. Discover how VMG can work with you to overcome obstacles and create impactful changes for a more equitable future. Reach out today! Read the full article here and share on your social media platforms! https://lnkd.in/eS3mZdzu #RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation #HealthEquity #Advocacy

#ICYMI: We recently dropped a research brief based on a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults to gauge levels of support for policies that, if implemented, would have a positive racial justice impact. Respondents were asked whether they were familiar with the concept of reparations, which was broadly defined. The results showed that reparations, even when broadly defined and not limited to cash payments, are not supported by the majority of the public, and the more time that has elapsed between a historical injustice and the proposed redress, the larger the ideological divide is on providing reparations.  Read on for more key findings: https://ow.ly/Q1qk50S8J9r We're also hosting a workshop TOMORROW, June 5, at 3 p.m. ET to share the findings from “Racial Justice and Health Equity: Public Perspectives on Reparations in America” and what they mean for health justice. Registration is FREE but required. Join us! https://ow.ly/L7rK50S8Je2

The theme of National Minority Health Month emphasizes the crucial role of culture, community, and connections in improving health outcomes. The spotlight on minority health in April underscores the persistent inequities and barriers faced by minorities in accessing quality healthcare. These include historical discrimination, systemic racism, and social determinants of health that perpetuate unfavorable health outcomes. Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet many minorities encounter obstacles such as lack of insurance, accessibility issues, and cultural barriers. Mistrust stemming from historical abuses and medical injustices further complicates the situation. Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging concepts is essential in achieving health equity. CLAS standards are adhered to for language and other communicative barriers. There are many barriers, such as accessibility, not feeling they belong, and cultural insensitivities toward them that complicates getting their needs met. The inevitable inequities can seem monumental to those marginalized communities when there aren’t best practices followed from policies, procedures, and a level of accountability in place to assure compliance. Health equity should be attainable for all. To address these challenges, it's imperative to adopt culturally competent approaches, build trusting relationships, and understand the community's unique needs and environmental factors. Collaboration among various stakeholders and community resources is essential to bridge gaps and provide comprehensive support services. By prioritizing these strategies, including education, income support, housing, employment, and transportation assistance, we can empower underserved communities to overcome barriers and improve their health outcomes. #mentalhealth #accessibility #collaboration #community #support #healthequity

"Sometimes you got to make those systems bend, and other times you got to disrupt those systems, innovate and invent, and create and design." On The Commonwealth Fund's podcast with Joel Bervell, Chris T. Pernell, MD, MPH, FACPM, Director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity, discusses the urgent need to address the disparities Black Americans face in the U.S. health care system. From systemic racism to policy change, Dr. Pernell explores how we can reshape the future of health care for marginalized communities and build a more inclusive, equitable health system.

#FundingOpportunity JUSTICE SQUARED will equip up to 12 teams of five core #healthcare and #community #leaders with $300,000 ($400,000 for safety-net institutions) in #funding over two years. Teams will take a guided journey focused on learning and action with a comprehensive support system of #racialjustice and #systemchange transformation experts, as they take practical action together to change organizational policies and practices to address #structuralracism.

This is a big month for furthering equity in healthcare as Blue Cross Blue Shield Association released its Health Equity Policy Platform. While we’ve certainly made inroads related to health equity, the truth is that severe inequalities continue to persevere among communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other historically marginalized groups.   These inequalities are extremely harmful for a large percentage of the population. The Health Equity Policy Platform was developed based on clinical data, with the goal of providing actionable policy recommendations to help improve how care is delivered and experienced by people who have traditionally been underserved.   At its core, the policy platform consists of four principles: • Improving access and affordability • Addressing and mitigating impacts of social drivers of health • Building an equitable healthcare workforce • Harnessing and standardizing health equity data This is an extremely important issue that affects so many patients and I’m very proud that the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is committed to tackling these systemic injustices.   We won’t solve it all at once, but this is a step in the right direction.

In the heartbeat of global healthcare, women are the unsung heroes, representing 90% of the frontline workforce worldwide and 75% in Australia. Yet, a startling gap exists at the leadership level, where they hold only 45% of public hospital board chairs, 39% of private hospital CEOs, and 38% of state and federal chief medical or health officers. This disparity isn't just a statistic; it's a mirror of the obstacles women face despite their critical roles across the healthcare spectrum. The pandemic has only deepened these challenges, particularly affecting women from marginalised communities.   For Dominique Robert-Hendren MAPS FCCLP, Grief Australia’s Chief Clinical and Education Officer, stepping into this newly created executive leadership role and leading a team of specialist grief practitioners while overseeing the invaluable programs, services and education Grief Australia offers nationally mirrors the opportunities that have honed her expertise in leadership, organisational change management, training and education, mental health policies, and clinical and corporate governance. It's undoubtedly a triumph for Grief Australia.   This International Women's Day, as we embrace the theme "Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress," we're reminded of the power and necessity of supporting women in healthcare. Investing in women isn’t just about equity; it's about enriching our health systems with diverse perspectives and skills. By championing women, we pave the way for a healthcare system that’s more resilient, inclusive, and effective for everyone. #IWD2024

May is Women's Health Month — a time dedicated to encouraging women to prioritize their health. After all, our health is the foundation we all build upon. But what if healthcare is not accessible to you? In 2020, AARP asked 1,001 women in Iowa over the age of 50 about the issues that mattered to them. The leading concern? Health care! Specifically the cost of it. Many of these women expressed fears about retirement due to the rising costs of healthcare and prescription drugs. Without access, we don't go to annual checkups, we miss out on important screenings, and we can't monitor or manage our conditions. Our health declines — and our individual foundations crumble. This Women's Health Month, we remain focused on our mission to improve the lives of Iowa's women and girls through economic self-sufficiency. When women are able to achieve financial stability, we become less vulnerable to necessary expenses, like healthcare, that solidify our success. Once we succeed, we can shift our focus and help solidify the foundations of women around us — uplifting all women and strengthening our futures.

🎺The text below is on the website of a health system. While I am all for the stated intentions and love the mention of democratizing care, I again want to stress the importance of language and framing when it comes to equity in #healthcare. I blurred identifiers because this isn’t about finger pointing. I’m hoping this helps people think of other ways to talk about equity. Blue: “Birth equity—Uniformly excellent outcomes” aligns with the common understanding of “sameness” which is about equality, not equity. The widely accepted definition of #birthequity is “the assurance of the conditions of optimal births for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequities in a sustained effort.” It is important to reinforce that framing whenever possible. Note it says inequities, not disparities. Green: “The more standardized the care is, the less opportunity for error and discrepancies.” In all the years that healthcare has stood ten toes down on standardization, has it led to #equity in care or outcomes? No, it has not—especially not for Black women. So why are we seeking more of it? I suspect we need to rethink what has been standardized and for whom. Yellow: “When everyone is treated the same, outcomes are more optimized, with less person-to-person variation.” This speaks to equality in health care, not equity. In fact, equity requires us to eschew sameness and instead focus on providing care that is based on the patient’s needs, culture, and lived experiences. (NOTE: Occasionally, the equal approach is the equitable approach but we have to use an equity lens analysis to know when that is the case). To achieve equity in health care, we have to frame the issues and approaches accurately. Why? Detractors look for every opportunity to undermine equity and they use our own words against the work and policies that advance it. We cannot afford to miss the mark in how we communicate about equity. Remember, they have weaponized EQUALITY against EQUITY, making the case that “All lives matter” as a way to reject equitable approaches. Lastly, disparities in care are merely differences. #Inequities in care are differences that are preventable, avoidable, and unjust. Let’s hold ourselves and one another accountable for focusing our messages and our actions on inequities whenever possible. ✌🏾