In the United States, significant racial disparities exist for health outcomes and life expectancy. Many of these disparities can be linked to the political and social structures and values that exist in our country that have long-rooted histories of racism. These structures and values result in disparities around health-promoting resources such as food, income, housing, environmental quality, and more. Our healthcare delivery system is often less acknowledged as one of the resources that is also subject to racism and systems of inequality. Both anecdotally and empirically, racism at the point of healthcare delivery is as pervasive as it is in the rest of our society.
In partnership with the Kentucky Nurses Association and the Have a Heart Clinic, The Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC) is convening a Healthcare Equity Advisory Committee and Healthcare Equity Learning Series to address this problem.
Healthcare Equity Advisory Committee
Through a multi-month series of meetings, the Healthcare Equity Advisory Committee members will evaluate and prioritize the top healthcare disparities in Greater Louisville. Together, the committee will provide recommendations for improvements in the quality and experience of care for treating the highest prioritized disparity.
Committee members will be selected on an application basis. Applications are currently being accepted at https://khcollaborative.org/healthcareequityapplication. The application period will close on Tuesday June 8, 2021. All applicants will be notified of participation by June 22, 2021. Learn more about the Healthcare Equity Advisory Committee in its charter.
Bridging the Gap from Healthcare Disparities to Anti-Racist Clinical Encounters
This healthcare equity learning series will bring all key healthcare stakeholders together to call attention to some of the most tragic disparities that exist in the Greater Louisville community and to urgently catalyze solutions to these inequities. Healthcare stakeholders of all kinds are invited to attend this series at no cost. Potential forum topics include:
- Reducing Racial and Gender Disparities in Cardiovascular Care
- The Black Maternal Health Crisis
- Reducing Mental Health Disparities
- Reducing Disparities in Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery
- Eliminating Race-Based Medicine in Chronic Kidney Disease
- Reducing Cancer Disparities
Forum dates are to be released at a later time. The KHC is currently accepting sponsors for this series. Learn more series’ sponsorship prospectus.
Creating an anti-racist healthcare system will require all healthcare stakeholders to take responsibility and demand accountability for equitable delivery and health outcomes. Although certainly not a sole solution for remedying disparate care, the KHC, KNA, and Have-a-Heart clinic are hopeful that these initiatives can serve as a catalyst within the Louisville healthcare community and align with other community-led efforts to advance equality.
Please reach out to Natalie Middaugh, KHC Community Health Program Manager, at nmiddaugh@khcollaborative.org with any questions about the Advisory Committee or Learning Series.
