During National Minority Health Month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) will host The Road to Equity: Examining Structural Racism in Health Care – a two-day virtual forum to explore the advancement of health equity and efforts to address structural racism.
Tuesday, April 27: 12:00 – 3:30 p.m. CT
The opening session will welcome guests and provide remarks from CMS and Departmental leadership to look at the current state of health disparities and Agency efforts to address equity and include a look at the broader picture of racism in health care.
Collection, Reporting, and Analysis of Standardized Data will focus on increasing understanding and awareness of the value of collecting and analyzing standardized patient data.
Integrating Equity Solutions Across Health Programs and Health Systems will focus on increasing understanding of the impact CMS programs and policies have on health and health care disparities in minority and underserved communities. The session will also look at innovative ways health care systems and organizations can reduce disparities among those they serve.
Wednesday, April 28: 12:00 – 3:45 p.m. CT
The first session of Day 2 will focus on generating understanding and awareness of the accessibility and culturally and linguistically appropriate, health literate care and how to identify and eliminate barriers.
COVID-19 Impacts on Disparities will discuss current barriers to the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine safety, with a specific focus on special populations.
Solutions to Promoting Equity Panel is a moderated question and answer session with CMS OMH Director, Dr. LaShawn McIver and various federal and partner organizations.
Guest speakers from various federal and partner agencies will share their insight and experience during the forum. Sessions will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on health disparities and initiatives to promote equity, as well as CMS and other federal agencies’ roles as equity partners in increasing access to care and strengthening the capacity of the health care industry.
A formal agenda detailing each session can be found here. There will be time during each session for attendees to ask questions. Space is limited; CMS OMH encourages early registration to ensure you can attend.
Please note: if you would like to attend both days of the forum, you will need to register for each day individually, using the links above. You will receive an email with login information from GoToWebinar upon registration. If you do not receive an email in a few days’ time, contact OMH@cms.hhs.gov.