UCLA Health hospital leaders shared strategies to improve community health and well-being by building an inclusive local economy during a conference hosted by the UCLA Luskin Conference Center.
More than 300 people representing more than 55 health care systems Participated in the annual meeting from all over the country Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN), a collaborative working to address social inequalities that drive adverse health outcomes. The core purpose of HAN is to establish practices that contribute to the long-term well-being of communities.
Johannes Spiso, President UCLA Health Los Angeles County’s size, diverse population and significant health disparities provide a conducive environment for the conference, which will take place Oct. 3-5. .
“I think this provides a learning environment for us to work with the community and really start to make some significant changes,” she told the CEO/Leadership plenary. Spizo said health care providers must “deliver high-quality, equitable care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate, consistent not only with the patients we currently serve, but also in areas where we need to expand services and then more visibly and proactively Show up in the community.”
This network includes all University of California Academic Health System and many other leading healthcare providers, including NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Stanford Health Care and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Medell Briggs-Malonson, MD, MPH, director of UCLA Health, said that through UCLA Health’s institutional mission, UCLA Health aims to improve social factors that influence health by investing in under-resourced communities. , thereby mitigating racial and socioeconomic inequalities. UCLA Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
UCLA Health plans to achieve this goal by promoting inclusive hiring and supporting small businesses led by minorities, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and others who are often excluded from business opportunities, she said. The plan also calls for investing local resources to improve the overall well-being of low-income communities of color.
Dr. Briggs-Malonson said that through her partnership with Healthcare Anchor Network, she was inspired by the opportunity to leverage the bank’s financial assets and UCLA Health’s intellectual assets to invest in and support socially disadvantaged communities.
“If we are to continue to promote greater health, especially among historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities, we know we must lean into these communities and try new community collaboration approaches to transform health and social well-being,” Dr. explain. Briggs-Malonson co-chaired a session on the topic.
As a member of the Healthcare Anchor Network, UCLA Health advocates for a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on addressing the social drivers of health, or factors that influence the health of people and the communities in which they interact. UCLA Health has structured its approach around five strategic pillars:
- Diversity Recruiting: Ensures employment opportunities for individuals in the communities it serves.
- Impact Sourcing: Purchasing supplies from local small businesses to stimulate economic growth within the community.
- Impact investing: Allocating resources, including funding and collaboration, to initiatives that advance community health.
- Environmental Justice: Recognizing and working to address how factors such as the “built environment” or air quality, green space and air pollution significantly impact patient health outcomes.
- Community Partnerships: UCLA Health’s commitment extends beyond Los Angeles County. Community partnerships emphasize learning from and supporting local organizations and leveraging assets to scale up effective interventions.
“Collaborations like ours with HAN allow us to collaborate and better understand what is happening locally and nationally and what is working for other institutions as it relates to addressing racial and social factors that contribute to adverse health outcomes. issues of inequality,” Mikel Whittier, director of health equity, diversity and inclusion at UCLA, said before the meeting.
Evelyn Tokuyama is the author of this article.