RWJF

Just Leaders for a Just Health System (JUSTICE SQUARED), a new initiative led by Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World with support from RWJF, is accepting proposals. This two-year program invites healthcare organizations and community leaders to collaborate in confronting structural racism in healthcare. Selected teams will receive hands-on guidance from experts in racial justice and system change as they work together to make organizational policies and practices more equitable. If you and your organization are ready to take bold, courageous action toward shaping a more just and equitable healthcare system, learn more and apply today. #HealthEquity #StructuralRacism #HealthcareTransformation #CallForProposals #RWJF #healthcare

We all want safe places to live, healthy food, good schools, reliable transportation, and the chance to help our families thrive. A safe, respectful workplace that pays fair wages is key to achieving this. But structural racism deeply embedded in the federal laws governing wages is denying that to more than 5 million hardworking service workers. The subminimum wage—just $2.13 per hour—is disproportionately harming people of color, single moms, and immigrants, who make up most of this workforce. In 43 states, it’s deepening economic inequality leaving underpaid workers and their families more likely to face poverty, hunger, and hardship. Ending the subminimum wage would be a big step toward economic justice and giving everyone a fair and just opportunity to thrive.

Latino communities are a major pillar of the U.S. economy, but they don’t receive the financial support they need from the traditional finance sector. To equip communities with more financial resources, public and private investors can step in and fill in the gaps.   The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) is an RWJF borrower that helps its member organizations make more loans to Latino business owners, housing developers, and more to meet the needs of residents. It’s been wonderful to work with them and witness the impact of their efforts. In a new RWJF blog post, Marla Bilonick, President and CEO of NALCAB, and I show how impact investments can be used to break down barriers to economic prosperity for Latino communities.   

This moment – and the health of our nation – depends on policymakers strengthening the Centers for Disease Control, not weakening it. Critical health organizations like the CDC need support from policymakers to provide stable and sufficient funding, modernized data systems and new authority to collect and report state-level data, especially during public health emergencies. They need tools to fight against ongoing mis- and disinformation which threatens the credibility of sound public health guidance. Lawmakers’ sustained commitment to health equity through these kinds of investments and others will help tear down the barriers to health caused by structural racism and other forms of discrimination so that together we can transform health in our lifetime. https://wapo.st/3CrG9py

Creating truly equal opportunity for people of color leads to better outcomes for all of us. Some folks will argue otherwise--occasionally in good faith but often to sow division. In 2022, Mississippi and six other states filed a lawsuit challenging Medicare's program to promote anti-racism efforts in doctors' offices and hospitals. They claimed that Medicare exceeded its authority and that the program constituted reverse discrimination. RWJF recently submitted a friend of the court brief in support of the Medicare initiative. We made two main points: 1) anti-racism plans are consistent with a long history of addressing racial disparities in healthcare and 2) racial equity efforts lead to better care for *all* patients. For example, doula supports in pregnancy are often initiated as a strategy to address maternal health disparities. The result: reductions in racial gaps in C-section rates and post-partum depression with improvements seen for women of all races. Or take another example: language access services lead to better care for people with limited English proficiency. Most of these folks are people of color, but 11% of people with LEP in the U.S. are white. Effective language access services also result in fewer medical errors and lower liability risks for hospitals. This can reduce costs for the system as a whole, which benefits all patients. As a new presidential administration is set to take office in January 2025, we will see even more policy threats to racial equity. RWJF and its partners remain committed to defending efforts to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity for good health. Great appreciation to my RWJF colleague Alyson K. Northrup, M.S. and Sarah Grusin and Jane Perkins at the National Health Law Program for collaborating with me on this work. #healthequity #racialequity Learn more about our amicus brief and related work here:

Healthcare providers like hospital systems and health clinics can use this practical guide to create plans that meet the needs of all birthing families. The guide, Raising the Bar for Maternal Health Equity and Excellence, has been used by groups like Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Henry Ford Health, Ohio Department of Medicaid, Jefferson Health Plans, and Everyday Miracles to advance better maternal outcomes for all patients. It explains how different roles can improve maternal health, gives advice to leaders on how to catalog and assess their work, and offers a list of actions they can take based on their goals and unique needs.

What does it look like to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion in the healthcare workforce? Many resolute leaders working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are doing so in challenging circumstances. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure efforts that increase the diversity within public health and the healthcare workforce are supported and invested in over the long-term. RWJF is deepening our commitment to DEI, increasing our investments toward a more diverse healthcare workforce by 60 percent over the next three years. Recognizing organizations may be wrestling with where to go from here, we convened a discussion with a brilliant group of leaders. These leaders have combined resources and ideas to address institutional changes to dismantle racism in academic admissions and health professional training. Thanks to Dr. Leon McCrea, Dr. Horace DeLisser, Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, PhD, CDP (she/her), LaShauna Connell, M.S.Ed, Shuma Panse, Ayoola Carleton, and Lauren Smith for your unique contribution to not only this discussion but this work. Let us know in the comments if any of these insights resonate with you or your organization's approach to DEI. #HigherEd #Healthcare #HealthEquity #HealthcareLeadership #academia #DiversityInclusion

This election season ballot measures have proven themselves to be a powerful way for voters to make decisions to improve their health, from abortion rights to paid sick leave. We need to protect this vital form of direct democracy that gives voters a way to create meaningful change. That’s why RWJF will continue to work with our partners to help citizens make their voices heard through ballot measures.

We all want to access healthcare when we need it, feel seen and heard by our providers, and know that we can cover the bill. Yet discriminatory policies and practices place healthcare out of reach for some of us based on race, income, or geography. RWJF is working with partners to build a fair and just healthcare system that is accessible and affordable for all, a system that rectifies the harms it has caused in the past and prevents future harm by treating everyone with dignity and respect. We're grateful to partner with organizations that are building a healthcare system that serves all of us. From diversifying the health professions, to advocating for people in need of coverage, to providing safe birthing experiences for Black women, these partners are renewing hope in healthcare and working toward a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right. 🟡 Georgia Budget and Policy Institute amplifies the voices of people in Georgia living in the healthcare coverage gap. https://lnkd.in/eQRXruNZ 🟡The Indigenous Health, Education, and Resources Taskforce (IHEART) fosters Indigenous led, culturally responsive networks to address the scarcity of American Indian and Alaska Native communities in the health professions. https://lnkd.in/eYbUzpNN 🟡Ancient Song and Commonsense Childbirth Inc. works to ensure equitable maternal health care. https://rwjf.ws/e5vGLG 🟡Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World has launched Just Leaders for a Just Health System (JUSTICE SQUARED), which will take teams of healthcare organizations, patients, and community leaders on a guided journey to confront structural racism in healthcare together. https://lnkd.in/dmWNEBis To create a healthcare system free of barriers and inequities, it takes committed leaders within the system, sharing power with communities that have experienced these inequities firsthand. Visit our website to learn more about efforts to build a fair and just healthcare system. #healthcare #MaternalHealth #HealthEquity #DiversityAndInclusion

We reject the hate these racist messages represent and stand in solidarity with the NAACP rightfully condemning the harms of racist rhetoric.