Health Equity Solutions

Newly increased focus on health equity and racial justice have led to the enthusiasm and also sometimes a sense that equity is too big and unwieldy of a goal. To launch Health Equity Week 2021, Health Equity Solutions created this “path to health equity” as a way to show that while this journey will be long and challenging, it is also feasible and clearly laid out for us. The video depicts the policy “steps” we can take to advance health equity in Connecticut. This initial version of the path is based on conversations with partners, community members, and policymakers.

We need your input to make it more complete and to ensure it reflects a broader perspective link to the survey here.

Path to Health Equity 2021 Video

Join in Health Equity Week 2021 on social media! For more details & events throughout the week, please visit Health Equity Week 2021.

Policy Solutions: How Can we Enact the Path?

Each of the “steps” toward health equity along the path are associated with concrete policy solutions. What are your priorities and ideas? Let us know here.

Here are a few examples of the specific policies this path points to:

Inclusion:

1. Requiring diversity throughout workforce and governance structures
2. Robust community engagement across health systems
3. Consistent public access to health equity data

Race, ethnicity, and language data:

1. Standardizing the collection of race, ethnicity, and language data
2. Implementing a plan to improve data collection processes
3. Leveraging data to inform equitable decision-making, for example how federal relief funding is distributed

Access:

1. Long-term extensions of telehealth that address the digital divide and meet the needs of people of color
2. Supporting pathways to sustainable reimbursement for community health workers and doulas
3. Tying community benefit spending to needs identified by communities

Affordability:

1. Increasing Medicaid eligibility limits
2. Centering equity in public option plans and other insurance reforms

Anti-racist systems and structures:

1. Acknowledging, at all levels of government, that racism is a public health crisis
2. Embedding health equity in all policies—a cross-sector approach to policymaking
3. Accountability through racial and ethnic impact statements

Opportunities to be healthy:

1. Strengthening collaboration between health systems and communities
2. Whole-person care models
3. Culturally and linguistically appropriate information and care

What do YOU think is needed to get Connecticut to health equity? Let us know here!