Healthy equity, the ability for everyone to have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy, has become a critical topic during the pandemic. That’s because COVID-19 put a spotlight on longstanding health disparities, with poor communities of color suffering more cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Today, Global Health Care kicks of its Virtual Health Equity Summit. It’s a four-day forum on practical case studies and solutions for advancing health equity. James Kyle, MD, the Medical Director for Quality, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at L.A. Care Health Plan, will sit on a panel titled Health Plan Initiatives in Advancing Health Equity.
Kyle will discuss L.A. Care’s commitment to health equity for members and their communities. This commitment includes board approval of a Statement of Principles on Social Justice and Systemic Racism and the establishment of an Equity Council Steering Committee with three subcommittees focused on members, providers and vendors, and employees.
Addressing social determinants of health is important to reach health equity. Kyle will share the wide variety of ways that the health plan is addressing social determinants, including committing millions of dollars to organizations that work to address food insecurity, housing stability and more. The health plan also launched L.A. Care Community Link, a web-based search tool that helps connect members to food, housing and other resources.
Kyle will discuss the need for a health plan to do more than write checks and contract with doctors and hospitals. He says as a “next-level” health plan, L.A. Care is focused on eliminating health disparities through policies that increase economic empowerment by funding community programs that enhance neighborhood stability, and by offering interventions that address social risk factors.
The summit starts today and runs through Thursday, June 10. The Health Plan Initiatives in Advancing Health Equity panel is tomorrow, June 8, at 11:15 am. Catherine Anderson, MPA, Senior Vice President for Policy and Strategic Engagement at UnitedHealthcare, will join Kyle for this panel.
You can register for the summit here.