Care Transformation

Healthcare Equity

At UW Medicine, we believe that healthcare is a fundamental human right and everyone should have the same access and opportunities for the best possible outcomes. This belief is very clearly tied to our mission to improve the health of the public. However, it’s important to acknowledge that institutional racism has created inequities in society — even within our own healthcare system — that result in health disparities. We are committed to transforming the way care is provided to eliminate these inequities. Healthcare equity isn’t owned by one department or leader – everyone shares responsibility. We can all take action in our own spheres of influence and in the work we control.

UW Medicine Healthcare Equity Blueprint

In the fall of 2016, a multi-disciplinary committee of clinicians, faculty, administrators, students and system leaders came together to develop a set of objectives, strategies and tactics to advance healthcare equity for all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, language, religion, age, spiritual practice, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic class and mental or physical status. This “blueprint” planning process started by acknowledging both the challenge of accomplishing greater care equity, but also the recognition that over the years, at many of our sites of practice, successful programs to reduce disparities in care have been launched. The committee saw a great opportunity to spread and scale these successes.

In 2017, the committee created a multi-year Healthcare Equity Blueprint blueprint to guide our journey to improve healthcare equity. Our vision is to become a national model for healthcare equity and reduce disparities in healthcare delivery. Paula Houston Ed.D., and Pat Dawson MD, PhD FACS, are leading the charge to carry out the plans described in the blueprint.

Healthcare Equity Toolkit

Explore our healthcare equity related informational resources here.

Resources:

Healthcare Equity has merged with the Center for Equity Diversity and Inclusion to form the Office of Healthcare Equity. Our new team is working hard to launch our new website!

Click here to learn more about our new office. This website will remain active until the new website development is complete.