Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2014 - (Page 7)

2006-2012: Office of Health Equity By 2006, Baylor had developed a robust infrastructure to ensure and continuously improve quality of care. In 1999, Baylor hired a chief quality officer, and soon thereafter (in pursuit of STEEEP care), the organization established the Institute for Health Care Research and Improvement (IHCRI) to conduct research and support system goals related to clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and healthcare quality improvement. IHCRI's department structure was closely aligned with the STEEEP initiative and included the Office of Patient Safety and the Office of Patient Centeredness. In 2006, Baylor's board of trustees chartered the creation of the Office of Health Equity (OHE) to address another important component of STEEEP care- equitable care. In its charter, the OHE was given three primary responsibilities: Exhibit 1 A Conceptual Framework for Health Equity Improvement To effectively address health equity-both within Baylor and throughout the communities it serves-a conceptual framework had to be developed that clearly communicated the factors contributing to health equity while serving as a guide for operationalizing health equity improvement strategies. In its first year, the OHE developed the Health Equity Triangle (Exhibit 1), a simple graphic that illustrates the core elements of Baylor's equity improvement philosophy. The Health Equity Triangle effectively communicates three dimensions of care that contribute equally to health equity. 1. Access to care. The access dimension focuses on a person's ability to obtain health services when needed. Access issues are broad in scope, affecting a patient's ability to access services along the entire continuum of care. Baylor Health Care System Health Equity Triangle Care Delivery Access to Care Health Equity Health Outcomes J oe l T. A ll iso n, F A CHE; Cl iff Ful l e rt on; a nd Ada m C ha b ir a * 7 F E A T U R E 1. Develop a conceptual framework for health equity work within Baylor Health Care System. 2. Develop a methodology for measuring and analyzing health equity within Baylor Health Care System. 3. Lead the innovation of interventions that improve health equity and reduce health disparities within Baylor Health Care System and the communities it serves.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2014

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2014
Contents
Editorial
Baylor Health Care System’s Journey to Provide Equitable Care
In Pursuit of High-Value Healthcare: The Case for Improving Quality and Acheiving Equity in a Time of Healthcare Transformation
Ending Healthcare Disparities: An Urgent Priority and a Growing Possibility
Expanding the Evidence Base for Health Equity
A Historical Perspective on Disparities as Context for Our Work Ahead

Frontiers of Health Services Management - Spring 2014