How to begin your journey towards equitable healthcare
The innovative road to health equity with Dr. Bryan O. Buckley
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is playing a key role in the transformation of healthcare, incorporating health equity into their widely respected healthcare quality programs. NCQA uses measurement, transparency, and accountability to highlight top performers in the healthcare space, which drives improvement in the quality of healthcare. Their vision is simply, “Better health care. Better choices. Better health.”
As part of our ongoing discussion series, Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, discussed the journey to make our country’s healthcare system more equitable with Bryan O. Buckley, DrPH, MPH, director of health equity initiatives for NCQA. View the recording below.
Dr. Buckley recently participated in our search for health equity predictions in 2023. His prediction is that we will start to see more collective efforts among stakeholders that don’t usually work together. They are going to realize that cross-sector partnerships are the only way to make it work.
But why is this prediction so critical? Dr. Buckley calls it the “Justice League approach.” We can have superheroes doing good work in their own cities, communities, and silos, but they need to come together at a watchtower and talk about solutions and solve bigger issues together. There is power in sharing ideas and working together to focus on health equity. Dr. Buckley said, “We need horizontal leaders that can connect the dots and be the watchtower among different sectors.”
“Everyone agrees [health equity] is something we need to do. They see how it links to healthcare quality and we know that equity is a domain of high-quality healthcare. Often at NCQA we say you can’t have high quality healthcare without equity and equitable healthcare is high quality.”
To be good health equity champions we must be good historians. Once partnerships are created, we also need to learn from the past so that we don’t repeat old mistakes. Take the time to understand the historical context of your community. Ask yourself a few questions:
Why are things currently the way they are and how did we get there?
If we make an intervention or start an initiative, who are we centering it on?
How are we involving them in the process and the codesign?
Everyone’s overall mission is to improve the health of patients. Don’t forget to talk to the people affected by the current inequities.
“Learn from history in this moment when there is new energy, new investment, and a willingness to address health equity. What a shame it would be if you don’t take the time to learn lessons and apply new resources and new energies in ways that would make a difference.”
Health equity can be an overwhelming journey. With the new government mandates and metric requirements, experimentation, growth, intentionality, and a fresh perspective are needed. Where can healthcare organizations start on their journey to reach it? Dr. Buckley recommended focusing on the four P’s:
Perception: Is your organization looking from all perspectives. Are you talking with the people closest to the problem? How are you engaging them? How are you being humble and looking to grow and learn?
Process: Are you committed to rethink and question your current process? Have a pioneer spirit in the way you think outside the box. Think about your current systems, your governance, and how you currently measure success. How do you collect race and ethnicity data? How do you advocate to the government on ways to expand data? Question everything – including why the box was there to begin with.
People: Focus on the people you serve. Be person and family-centered first. Engage the community. Work with partnerships and community-based organizations.
Projection: What is the story you want to tell in the future? What are others going to share about you? Project the story you want told by committing to do the hard work now to make a more equitable and just organization. Make sure equity is your company mission.
“Be hungry, be curious and be humble. Be hungry for trying to address inequities… Be curious that there are many different roads to get to the destination...Be humble to know you can’t do it alone…Health equity is a team sport.”
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