Many people incorrectly use equality and equity in their
conversations by believing that these concepts have the same meaning. This
confusion even makes its way into treatment approaches in medical
establishments and decision making. The
meanings of equality and equity are different. While subtle, these can
determine which resources people receive in society and how these resources are
allocated. For Veterans particularly, selecting an approach to improve
Veteran’s care from an equality standpoint versus an equity standpoint
determines the level of care or support a Veteran receives, the Veteran’s well-being, and
whether the Veteran achieves optimal health.
A quick
search of the internet can provide various definitions for equality and equity;
the subtle and important differences in these concepts; and depictions to help
the most novice person distinguish between equality and equity. For the last
point, the Office of Health Equity developed the Applying an Equity Lens
depiction based on similar renderings. Our goal is to be Veteran-centric in
order to champion and raise awareness of health equity issues among Veterans,
VHA staff, and stakeholders.
Read
the entire blog post online at http://www.va.gov/HEALTHEQUITY/Applying_an_Equity_Lens.asp#differencesp1.
One
goal of the VHA Health Equity
Action Plan
is to strengthen and broaden leadership to address health disparities
throughout the VA. Our new tool, the Competing on Health
Equity – Organization Assessment, can help you consider if your organization
(e.g., the facility where you receive care or the section in which your work)
makes health equity a priority. The Assessment was developed by Harry L.
Leider, MD, MBA and was modified for OHE use under appropriate permission.
Download
a copy of the Competing on Health Equity – Organizational Assessment today.
The Commission
on Care Chairwoman in a recent interview discusses
Veteran health equity and the VHA Health Equity
Action Plan. The Commission released its final report
on June 30, 2016. Included in the 18 recommendations is a call for the
elimination of health disparities. The Commission makes the following
recommendation:
Recommendation #5 – Eliminate health care disparities among
veterans treated in the VHA Care System by committing adequate personnel and
monetary resources to address the causes of the problem and ensuring the VHA
Health Equity Action Plan is fully implemented.
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VHA work to eliminate health disparities by establishing health care equity as a strategic priority.
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VHA provide the Office of Health Equity adequate resources and level of authority to successfully build cultural and military competence among all VHA Care System providers and employees.
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VHA ensure that the Health Equity Action Plan is fully implemented with adequate staffing, resources, and support.
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VHA increase the availability, quality, and use of race, ethnicity, and language data to improve the health of minority veterans and other vulnerable veteran populations with strong surveillance systems that monitor trends in health status, patient satisfaction, and quality measures.
Visit http://federalnewsradio.com/federal-drive/2016/07/nancy-schlichting-how-the-va-can-improve-health-care-delivery/ for the full interview with Commission on Care
Chairwoman Nancy Schlichting. The discussion of VA Health Equity Action Plan
begins at the 05:30 mark.
The
full Commission on Care report can be downloaded at https://commissiononcare.sites.usa.gov/files/2016/07/Commission-on-Care_Final-Report_063016_FOR-WEB.pdf.
The statement by Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the Commission on Care report is available at http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2800.
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The Office of Health
Equity led editorial in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH)
was recently highlighted in a podcast by the AJPH editor-in-chief. The editorial calls
for increased attention to traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic
encephalopathy, and health disparities related to the condition; and it was
featured as part of a recent Focus on Health Equity
and Action Cyberseminar.
Listen
to the podcast by visiting http://ajph.aphapublications.org/sda/1151/2016-August_English.mp3. Discussion of the
OHE-led editorial begins at the 02:28 mark.
The article can be downloaded at the link contained in
the following citation:
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