Health Disparities Collaboratives
The continuing health disparities that lead to differences in death from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, as well as other illnesses, magnify the importance of addressing these issues without hesitation. To that effort, in 1998, President Bill Clinton presented a Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Initiative which set high national goals related to healthcare for all Americans. These goals were set in an effort to end the practice and acceptance of separate, lower health objectives for racial and ethnic minorities, un-insured and rural populations. (A summary of the President’s initiative is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/new/press/1998pres/980221.html)
The Health Disparities Collaboratives (HDC), developed by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), is the direct result of the President’s initiative and was formed to achieve the ambitious strategic goal of eliminating health disparities for underserved Americans and guaranteeing them 100% access to quality health care.
The principles of the Health Disparities Collaboratives include several models that, when used as designed, bring about rapid improvements in health care. Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout Florida transforming the way that care is delivered by utilizing the principles of the Health Disparities Collaboratives receive guidance through the support of the Florida Association of Community Health Center’s Clinical Quality Services. Additional support is obtained from national experts as well as through a collaboration with the Southeast Atlantic Health Disparities Collaboratives cluster (regional) staff. Support includes guidance through the three integrated models used in the Health Disparities Collaboratives which specify the essential elements of excellent care.
To achieve meaningful improvements in the lives of the underserved populations who suffer disproportionately from the burden of these health disparities, participating centers adopt shared national measures as well as measures that directly affect their patient population. All measures are aligned with and based on the proven guidelines of experts, external reporting requirements and/or other community standards of care. One important shared national measure of every Health Disparities Collaborative is “patient self-management”, since supporting self-care is an integral part of the Planned Care Model.
For more information on Health Disparities Collaboratives expansion funds please contact:
Miranda Paschal, M.Ed.
Clinical Quality Coordinator
(850) 942-1822
miranda@fachc.org