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Spotlight on Health Care Equity

The Racial Equity in Healthcare Progress Report

The Racial Equity in Healthcare Progress Report was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate racial and ethnic case and mortality rates by a group of Chicago healthcare leaders working with the Illinois Health and Hospital Association and the Civic Consulting Alliance of Chicago.

A national Technical Expert Panel was assembled to give feedback on the tool which was piloted in 2020 by Chicago hospitals and health centers before being rolled out statewide to Illinois hospitals and clinics.

With the support of the Commonwealth Fund, the Progress Report has been launched nationally and internationally to give hospitals and other health providers a framework to assess health inequities as well as a roadmap to meet the latest equity regulatory requirements.

In the face of racial and ethnic health disparities arising from social and economic inequalities, the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) has committed to supporting Illinois hospitals and community health centers in their equity journey by implementing the Racial Equity in Healthcare Progress Report, a quality improvement tool to advance racial health and other health equity initiatives.

Thanks to a 2022 grant from the Commonwealth Fund, RUSH University Medical Center has partnered with University of Chicago Medicine to test and validate the IHA progress report on a national scale.

Visit the RUSH website to learn more about participating in this national pilot.

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The Racial Equity in Healthcare Progress Report serves as a tool for long-term accountability, tracking the advancements made by health care organizations in achieving health equity.

The progress report is a 34-item, simple web-based questionnaire, aimed to assist hospitals and other health care organizations in conducting an environmental scan in four key areas of health care influence: people, patients, organization, and community. The information is consolidated into a yearly progress report, which showcases hospital achievements and assists in pinpointing areas that require enhancement.

Participating hospitals receive:

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A comprehensive data analytics report
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Benchmark comparisons against similar organizations nationwide
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An implementation playbook designed to assist hospitals in strategically translating their data into action
Developed by The Joint Commission with permission.