Penn State Health takes a systemwide approach to addressing health equity that is in line with the health system’s mission to continually improve the health and well-being of the people of Pennsylvania, and beyond. The Health Equity Program’s objective is to reduce incidences of health disparities among specific population groups, most often reflected in length and quality of life, rates and severity of disease, presence of other adverse health conditions and access to medical treatment.
On this page, you will find:
- Information about why health equity is important
- The impact health equity can have on patients and the community
- Updates on Penn State Health’s commitment to provide the highest-quality care to all patients and to support the health of our communities
We recognize that health outcomes involve more than just good health care but also include access to employment and healthy food, a safe living environment and exposure to racism, to name a few. As a result, Penn State Health’s focus on health equity will include all the factors that can impact a person’s health.
What is Health Equity?
Health equity exists when all people have fair and just access to health care, including the opportunity and resources to achieve their highest potential for health. The World Health Organization defines it as the “absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among populations regardless of race/ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, geographic location or other societal constructs.
Why is Health Equity Important?
Everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, ability, income or education, should have equal opportunity to avoid preventable disease, injury and violence.
Improving Health Outcomes Through Health Equity
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health equity is achieved when people have the opportunity to reach their full health potential, and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.
A successful health equity program can have a tremendous impact on patient outcomes, preventive care, health care management and the ability to provide culturally responsive care to an increasingly diverse patient population. The specific benefits include:
- Decreased hospital readmissions and mortality rates
- Increased treatment success and medication compliance
- Improved performance
- Greater workforce representation that reflects the needs of the community
- Better patient access
About the Health Equity Program at Penn State Health
The goals of the Health Equity Program are to:
- Address health disparities – the differences among specific population groups in achieving their full health potential. These disparities can be measured by differences in incidence, prevalence, mortality, burden of disease and other adverse health conditions.
- Advance health equity – the opportunity for every person to achieve their highest level of health regardless of social or demographic factors, such as race, gender, income, geographic region or primary language spoken.
Health Equity Program pillars
The Health Equity Program focuses on the following areas, or pillars:
- Community engagement. Develop partnerships and increase visibility in diverse communities to increase the understanding and support of the unique needs of all communities.
- Health equity research. Strengthen Penn State Health’s infrastructure to optimize and guide scholarly research and quality improvement related to health equity and to increase diversity in clinical trials.
- Data infrastructure. Use quantitative and qualitative patient data to develop, inform and measure health care improvement strategies.
- Culturally appropriate patient care. Deliver compassionate, quality and safe health care in both inpatient and outpatient settings to provide consistent, equitable health outcomes and patient experience across all patient populations.
- Governance, leadership and workforce diversification and workplace climate. Cultivate an increasingly diverse leadership team and workforce that is thriving in a respectful, inclusive work environment.
- Organizational accountability. Effectively use organizational health equity influencers to sustain diversity, equity, inclusion and health equity progress, and advance a commitment to business diversity.
Facets for each pillar:
- Information Technology and Required Data
- Regulatory Requirements: Community, Outpatient, Inpatient
- Communication: Workforce governance, External Community
- Education
- Funding, Resources and Strategic Planning
A team of individuals throughout the health system is advancing the Health Equity Program pillars, in addition to factors that support these areas.
Penn State Health’s Progress in Addressing Health Equity
The butterfly symbolizes hope and a transformational life cycle with four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Each stage builds on the prior one and requires different methods of growth throughout the process. Penn State Health’s progress on its Health Equity program is embodied by this symbol.
Egg, Stage 1 (Identify): This stage in the transformation involves creating a plan to assess gaps, identify stakeholder participation, develop timelines, inventory resources and determine methods for data-gathering, interpretation and decision-making.
Larva, Stage 2 (Define and Plan): This stage focuses on developing strategic plans to address gaps identified in Stage 1, learn more about populations of interest, trends and issues that may affect implementation, including the wants, risks and needs of both the community and Penn State Health.
Pupa, Stage 3 (Develop and Implement): This stage ensures that program goals, populations of interest and outcome objectives are aligned with the strategic directions of Penn State Health. It also involves identifying specific activities for each strategy, including existing activities to start, stop or continue. Rollout of interventions should be implemented, with continuous communication and measurement.
Adult, Stage 4 (Impact and Evaluate): This stage of transformation focuses on evaluating health equity efforts to determine if they effectively contribute to organizational goals and objectives, if the chosen activities are appropriate for advancing health equity and if resources are adequate to implement new programming and sustain current activities.
Penn State Health’s Health Equity Program is currently in Stage 2 ─ steadily advancing toward our goal of fair and accessible health care for all patients.
Timeline
November 2022: Penn State Health launches a systemwide health equity program, identifying six priority pillars while employing the American Hospital Association's Health Equity Roadmap.
February 2023: Penn State Health boards are informed of the health equity program's foundation, including an annual review of key performance indicators.
April 2023: The Health Equity Transformation Assessment is completed for five of six hospitals, with strokes chosen as the focus for health equity disparities.
October 2023: The position of health equity director is created, supported by leadership in diversity and population health.
November 2023 to February 2024: Penn State Health creates a written health equity plan based on Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements*.
April 2024: The 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion benchmark survey is completed, and plans are developed to address health equity in stroke and maternal care. In addition, readiness for National Committee for Quality Assurance accreditation is assessed.
*CMS notes that hospital leadership can be instrumental in setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based goals to assess progress in achieving equity priorities and ensuring quality care is equally accessible to all individuals.
In staying compliant with both CMS and the Joint Commission, we must incorporate these priorities in our health equity efforts:
CMS Requirements
- Priority 1: Expand the collection, reporting and analysis of standardized data
- Priority 2: Assess causes of disparities within CMS Programs and address inequities in policies and operations to close gaps
- Priority 3: Build capacity of the organization and the workforce to reduce health and health care disparities
- Priority 4: Advance language access, health literacy and the provision of culturally tailored services
- Priority 5: Increase all forms of accessibility to health care services and coverage
Joint Commission Requirements
- EP 1: Designate an individual(s) to lead activities to reduce health care disparities for the system and specified patient populations
- EP 2: Assess patients’ (specified demographic) health-related social needs and provide information about community resources and support services
- EP 3: Identify health care disparities in the patient population by stratifying quality and safety data using the sociodemographic characteristics of our patients
- EP 4: Develop a written plan that describes how we will address at least one of the health care disparities identified in our patient population
- EP 5: Act when we do not achieve or sustain the goal(s) in the plan to reduce health care disparities
- EP 6: Inform key stakeholders, including leaders, licensed practitioners and staff at least annually about progress to reduce identified health care disparities
Health Equity at Penn State Health: A Journey of Progress
At Penn State Health, health equity is more than a goal, it’s a commitment to ensuring all individuals have a fair opportunity to achieve their best health. We recognize that health disparities exist, and we are actively working to bridge these gaps in care access and services. By addressing issues like stroke care, language access and proximity to services, we continue to focus on meeting the unique needs of our diverse patient population.
Prioritizing Stroke Care
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability, particularly in vulnerable populations. Penn State Health has made it a priority to ensure timely access to stroke care across all communities. By increasing stroke education, improving treatment protocols and ensuring rapid response, we hope to reduce stroke’s mortality and long-term effects, especially in areas where access to care has been historically limited. As part of this effort, the Penn State Health “My Stroke” Resource Guide was made available in Nepalese in August 2024 and is also accessible in English and Spanish.
Language Access: A Vital Link
Clear communication is fundamental to providing quality health care. At Penn State Health, we are expanding access to language services to ensure that all patients can communicate effectively with their health care providers, regardless of the language they speak.
By expanding interpreter services and translated health materials, we can empower patients to make informed decisions about their care. This step is especially critical for communities where language barriers have contributed to inequities in health outcomes.
Closing the Gap in Proximity to Care
Our Community Health Needs Assessment data has illuminated key gaps in proximity to care. Many residents live too far from essential health services, limiting their ability to access care in a timely manner.
We are working to address these gaps as we identify areas where health care facilities and resources are scarce. These efforts include exploring innovative solutions such as mobile health units and partnerships with local and rural organizations to bring care closer to those who need it most.
A Commitment to Inclusive Care
Through our commitment to health equity, Penn State Health is working to create a future where every community has the resources and support it needs for improved health outcomes.
Our Community Health Needs Assessment information is helping Penn State Health pinpoint critical areas where disparities exist, especially in mental health, nutrition and physical health, and proximity to essential health services. These findings shape the steps we take today and future initiatives to advance health equity.
Health Disparities Research
- The Importance of Social Determinants of Health and the Stigma of African-American Bias – American Journal of Medical Quality
- College of Medicine fellow finds Black, Hispanic severe allergy patients are less likely to receive allergy shots – Penn State College of Medicine
- Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center offers Maternal Substance Use Disorder Program – Penn State Health News
- Revisions to Federal Standards for Collecting and Reporting Data on Race and Ethnicity: What are They and Why do They Matter? | KFF – Revisions to Federal Standards for Collecting and Reporting Data on Race and Ethnicity: What are They and Why do They Matter?
Resources
- Advancing Health Equity in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Health Equity – World Health Organization
- Health Equity in Healthy People 2030 – Healthy People 2030
- Why Focus on Health Equity? | RWJF – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Contact Us
If you have questions about our Health Equity Program or would like more information, contact the Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at [email protected].