Two months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, more than 1.7 million individuals in the US have been infected and more than 100 000 have died. This tragedy has affected people of all walks of life, but the burdens of morbidity and mortality have not been borne equally. As data have accumulated from across the nation, a disturbing, and not surprising, pattern has emerged: cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have disproportionally affected communities of color. 1,2 A Crisis Within a CrisisBurdened by a legacy of discrimination and systemic inequality, African Americans, who represent 13% of the US population, account for 26% of COVID-19 cases, 3 31% of hospitalizations, 4 and 23% of deaths, 5 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This translates to a mortality rate for African American individuals that is 2.4 times the rate for white individuals, with rates of 54.6 vs 22.7 deaths per 100 000, respectively, based on data from 39 states and the District of Columbia. 6 However, complete data on these differences remain elusive. Nationwide, 50% of COVID-19 cases reported to the CDC lack the patient's racial or ethnic information. 3

The rising cost of health care continues to be a key driver of the growing national debt. Improving the nation's health requires a dedicated and holistic advancement of access to quality and affordable patient-centered health care, as well as a strong focus on the core elements of prevention, including nutrition. Programs must be put in place, such as the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii), to identify and address the root causes of malnutrition. Registered dietitian nutritionists have an important role to lead malnutrition quality improvement efforts in their organizations to promote better patient health outcomes, keep health care costs affordable, and protect Medicare. It is a unique time where there is an opportunity to achieve meaningful change in malnutrition care, and working together to implement quality improvement programs can ensure the health and vitality of current and future generations of Americans.