Health Equity
Dr. Cameual Wright
I am proud to work for a company that is committed to achieving health equity for all of our members. It is important that we, as a health care company, understand and work to eliminate factors, such as the social determinants of health, that can make an individual at risk for poorer health outcomes. By championing health equity, we are truly able to make a lasting difference in the lives of our members and the communities that we serve.
-Dr. Cameual Wright, Vice President, Health Equity and Advocacy Team, Committee Chair
Health Equity Commitment
Health Equity is defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Everyone has a fair and just opportunity to access their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, or other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.
At HAP CareSource™ and HAP CareSource™ MI Health Link (Medicare-Medicaid Plan), we are dedicated to the communities we serve, and to making a positive impact in the lives of our members through the elimination of health disparities, supporting health equity initiatives and partnering with community stakeholders to carry out this work.
It is through a collective effort to understand the diverse values, belief systems, cultures, linguistic needs, and socioeconomic barriers of our members that we are able to make lasting improvements in health equity.
We are champions of health equity and improved outcomes for those who entrust us with their care.
Provider Responsibilities
Providers are expected to deliver services in a culturally competent manner, which includes removing all language barriers, accommodating the unique ethnic, cultural and social needs of the member and understand that social determinants of health (SDoH) are recognized as significant contributors to member outcomes and quality of life.
HAP CareSource and HAP CareSource MI Health Link encourage our employees and providers to practice cultural humility through self-reflection, including awareness of our beliefs, values, and implicit biases, recognizing that cultural competency requires ongoing learning from those whose beliefs and experiences differ from our own, respecting the other person’s identity and acknowledging that each of us is the sole expert on ourselves.
Trainings and Resources
We recognize our responsibility to provide educational resources that support our providers’ and other community partners’ ability to deliver effective and culturally competent care, helping us reach our goal to reduce and ultimately eliminate the disparities in health care that adversely affect our members. See below for FREE training opportunities.
Together, let’s make health care fair and accessible for all!
Health Equity Training Resources
| Organization and Description | Link |
|---|---|
The Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors Think Cultural Health Free, continuing education e-learning programs, designed to help you provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS). | Education – Think Cultural Health (hhs.gov) Then choose the appropriate provider type. |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers three online health literacy courses for health professionals: · Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals (free continuing education) · Fundamentals of Communicating Health Risks · Effective Communication for Healthcare Teams: Addressing Health Literacy, Limited English Proficiency and Cultural Differences (free continuing education) | |
National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center Educational programs and resources to optimize quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, interest, asexual, and all sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) people. | |
John Hopkins University of Medicine Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity Offers a central repository for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) educational and learning. | https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/diversity/resources/diversity-university |
Get Rewarded for Your Commitment to Health Equity
Earn continuing education credits when you participate in the free activities made available to HAP CareSource and HAP CareSource MI Health Link providers through HAP CareSource’s and HAP CareSource MI Health Link’s partnership with CME Outfitters.
Visit the Diversity and Inclusion Hub to begin taking actionable steps toward mitigating racial health care disparities and earn 10+ hours of free continuing medical education (CME)/continuing education (CE) credit!