Humboldt Park Health recently participated in a Scottsdale Institute webinar, where Chief Operating Officer Daisy Rodriguez, MSN, MPH, shared valuable insights and recommendations for hospitals aiming to enhance health equity through data-driven and culturally competent care.
HPH’s commitment to equity is a core tenet of its mission, as the first hospital in the Midwest and Illinois to earn The Joint Commission's Healthcare Equity Certification. The hospital's approach focuses on actively confronting Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), which are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.
In the current healthcare environment, the profound influence of SDOH is increasingly recognized as central to population well-being. These elements significantly shape an individual's health outcomes and their ability to access equitable care, often leading to persistent disparities. Achieving true health equity demands a comprehensive approach that looks beyond traditional clinical interventions to address these societal conditions.
During the webinar, Rodriguez highlighted the organization’s strategies to deliver data-driven, culturally competent care, emphasizing their strategic efforts to create a healthier, more just community.
The role of social determinants of health
Healthcare equity hinges on addressing the interconnected SDOH, as factors like education, income, housing, food security, and employment profoundly impact an individual’s health outcomes and their ability to access consistent, quality care.
“Healthcare equity is not a goal,” Rodriguez said. “It is truly a necessity.”
By addressing these determinants head-on, Humboldt Park Health is working to significantly reduce health disparities and improve overall community health.
Using data to bridge gaps in care
By analyzing large datasets, Humboldt Park is uncovering patterns in patient outcomes, access to care, and the SDOH contributing to inequities. This allows them to pinpoint areas where specific populations experience worse health outcomes, leading to evidence-based, personalized interventions.
Programs like their Diabetes Navigator utilize data to track at-risk patients, while collaborations with FQHC partners have significantly increased breast cancer screening rates by 45% this year.
The hospital's data-driven approach extends to critical public health challenges. Their opioid response program revealed that most overdose patients are in their 50s, not younger individuals, prompting a partnership with Collaborative Bridges for more direct, personal, and supportive transfer of a patient's care from one provider to another.
This focus on data-informed insights also led to a groundbreaking study about overdoses involving animal tranquilizers mixed with opioids. Furthermore, by scrutinizing malnutrition screening data, Humboldt Park identified and corrected disparities in identification across racial and ethnic groups, doubling screening rates to 18%.
Looking ahead, these initiatives underscore their commitment to using data not just to understand disparities, but to actively implement targeted interventions, make evidence-based decisions, and foster healthier, more equitable communities.
Overcoming barriers to health equity
Achieving true health equity means implementing intentional and multifaceted strategies. A crucial step involves fostering workforce concordance, ensuring healthcare staff better reflects the diverse communities they serve. This alignment can build trust and improve communication, leading to more effective care.
Furthermore, overcoming barriers requires targeted approaches tailored to the unique needs of specific community areas.
Generic solutions often fall short, so interventions must be designed with an understanding of local challenges, cultural nuances, and specific health disparities, Rodriguez emphasized.
As part of their opioid response, Humboldt Park partnered with Collaborative Bridges to increase warm hand-off to treatment partners. It also championed a Charitable Pharmacy Program to provide access to free medications for uninsured patients, including all insulins and chronic disease medications.
Finally, effective strategies demand robust evaluation from the beginning, implementing targeted interventions and continuously monitoring their impact. This data-driven approach allows for adjustments and ensures efforts are genuinely leading to measurable improvements in health equity.
