Approaching the COVID-19 Pandemic Response With a Health Equity Lens: A Framework for Academic Health Systems

Abstract

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Disruptive Innovations to Achieve Health Equity Through Healthcare and Research Transformation

“…(see Table 2 for choices given to patients). 25 This collaborative training is provided by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity and JHM Language Services and includes the important context for accurate collection of REaL data. Topics covered include (i) discussing the business case for cultural competence, (ii) defining REaL data, (iii) discussing how collection of patient sociodemographic data can help eliminate health disparities, and (iv) describing the three best practices to collect patient sociodemographic data (Table 2).…”

“…In addition, diabetes-targeted food and self-management care delivered at food banks and pantries has improved not only glycemic control but also nutritional consumption and food insecurity. 30 25 An anchor strategy to promote equity…”

“…The messages-stay at home, if you must go out observe social distancing, avoid congregating in groups, wash your hands, and wear a mask-were delivered by local celebrities, who were considered trusted messengers, with whom our Baltimore neighborhood residents could identify. 25 At the start of the pandemic, our vice president for economic development for Johns Hopkins Medicine/University organized an anchor strategy work group, with the support of senior leadership, to coordinate and consolidate information sharing and gathering on substrategies that were being implemented across the health system and the university. The work group's committees focused on communication/information sharing, employee engagement, youth programs, external anchor institution coordination, and small business support.…”

“…The work group's committees focused on communication/information sharing, employee engagement, youth programs, external anchor institution coordination, and small business support. 25 The needs of the Latinx community were further supported by a Latinx COVID-19 anchor strategy work group that leveraged institutional, community, and government resources and expertise to improve access to COVID-19 testing and care for low-income immigrants without access to primary care and to mitigate economic vulnerability through food distribution and financial support. 36 This group also collaborated with Baltimore City to use Johns Hopkins Health System's excess COVID-19 testing capacity to stand up a free community-based testing site in the immigrant community with the highest COVID-19 infection rate in partnership with local religious leaders and trusted bilingual community health workers.…”

“…25 The partnership developed seven "workstreams" as part of the coordinated response focused on the following areas: care coordination, public health and special populations, testing and transportation, hotspot data collection, a resource dashboard, communications, and a call center. 25 The partnership captured local and national attention as a positive example of extraordinary efforts taken to stabilize and secure a community during crisis and can serve as a model for addressing chronic, nonacute community care.…”