Challenges and Successes in Reducing Health Disparities Workshop Summary (2008) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
5 Health Disparities in a Business Environment
5 Health Disparities in a Business Environment
Pages 91-102
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 91... ...
of PolicyLink; and Ms. Katherine Gottlieb, the president and CEO of Southcentral Foundation. AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON DIVERSITY The American Conference on Diversity is a nonprofit human relations organization in the New Jersey area that focuses on recognizing the value of diversity, educating leaders, and promoting respect while working on a broad spectrum of issues, explained Ms.
|
From page 92... ...
Businesses must realize that there are real bottom line costs associated with health disparities, Schwartz commented. According to the Integrated Business Benefits Institute, the full cost of employee absences is more than four times the total medical payment; absence-related costs alone amount to 76 percent of net income when considering lost productivity from absence and wage replacement benefits.
|
From page 93... ...
It is imperative that businesses understand that, to be proactive about positively impacting health disparities and their own costs, internal changes in their own business environments can tremendously impact their employee's experiences. Last June, as part of its Business Leaders Series, the American Conference on Diversity held a forum called the Health Disparities Score Card for all businesses across New Jersey, with the purpose of creating awareness and educating employers about health disparities issues.
|
From page 94... ...
Schwartz believes that insurers will soon start providing new programs and plans that address health disparities issues, and some larger insurers across the country either already have the data or are starting to gather them to address these issues. Change is coming, and the American Conference on Diversity is continuing to encourage the awareness that creates positive change.
|
From page 95... ...
The people at PolicyLink realized that where people live determines how healthy they are, how long they are going to live, and their general sense of well-being. Where people live determines whether or not they have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whether or not they have access to safe streets where they can get out and walk around, whether or not they have access to parks and other places to get physical activity, whether the air is safe to breath in a neighborhood, or whether people live in a place where asthma is going to be a continuing problem.
|
From page 96... ...
Acevedo-Garcia was suggesting, noted Glover Blackwell. The reason for the LISC focus on communities with concentrated poverty is not because LISC does not understand how valuable it would be to live in communities rich with opportunity, but because all of the money it has been leveraging has been coming from low-income housing tax credits, a federal program that provides housing opportunity.
|
From page 97... ...
It is terrible to blame people for not eating fruits and vegetables when they do not have access to them in their neighborhoods. Some fabulous programs around the country have been starting farmers' markets, helping local convenience stores successfully carry fresh fruits and vegetables, and getting full-service supermarkets in underserved communities.
|
From page 98... ...
At the same time, changes were taking place in the health care system for Alaskan Natives, she recounted, as we assumed the role of managing our health care from the federal government and as customer-owners created a paradigm shift. Southcentral Foundation has redefined the entire medical system for Alaskan Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, and 60 rural villages in the Anchorage Service Unit.
|
From page 99... ...
Gottlieb was involved in making the decisions about funding redesign and saying what she, as a customer-owner of the health care system, wanted to happen. Rather than creating more complexity, Southcentral developed a system that incorporates effective coaching, coordinating, teaching, modeling, and partnering directly with primary care physicians.
|
From page 100... ...
When she thinks of equity in relation to her work at Southcentral, Ms. Gottlieb replied, she focuses on what it has done to target the Alaskan Native and American Indian populations. One-third of the funding South The following discussions were edited and organized around major themes to provide a more readable summary and to eliminate duplication of topics.
|
From page 101... ...
Yet as owners and managers, any funds that are generated from a third-party building can be distributed wherever money is needed to address health care disparities in the community. The Nation of Alaskan Natives and American Indians receives only one-third of the funding required for providing health care to the community from reimbursement from the federal government.
|
From page 102... ...
The health aides are tribal people who receive training over a 6-month period, and they are often the only trained medical professionals in the entire village. That means that they are the doctor and the behaviorist.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.