Achieving Health Equity
What is Health Equity?
The attainment of the highest level of health for all people, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language or other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.¹
Why is Achieving Health Equity Important?
Providing equitable care means considering a person’s circumstances, culture, and beliefs so services can be delivered to allow people to achieve optimal health. If all aspects of a person’s life are not considered amidst their overall health, they may experience health disparities resulting in worse outcomes and thus a poorer quality of life. Health disparities are not just harmful, but expensive.
Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)
CLAS are services that are respectful of and responsive to each person’s culture and communication needs. CLAS helps you take into account of cultural health beliefs. preferred languages, health literacy levels, and communication needs.
The National CLAS Standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by providing a blueprint for health and health care organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
North Dakota Resources
Data Resources
Tools & Trainings to Identify and Address Health Disparities
AHRQ Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Toolkit
AHRQ TeamSTEPPS Enhancing Safety for Patients With Limited English Proficiency Module
AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
CMS Disparities Impact Statement
CMS Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities
CMS Guide to Developing a Language Access Plan
CMS Providing Language Services to Diverse Populations: Lessons from the Field
CMS Achieving Health Equity (Medicare Learning Network Training)
CMS Modernizing Healthcare to Improve Physical Accessibility (Medicare Learning Network Training)
CMS Improving Health Care Quality for LGBTQ People (Medicare Learning Network Training)
Diverse Elders Resource for Providers: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers
IHI Achieving Health Equity: A Guide for Health Care Organizations
IHI How to Reduce Implicit Bias
Harvard University – Project Implicit
Tools for Communities, Patients & Families
National CLAS Standards
AHRQ Tools to Promote CLAS
CMS A Practical Guide to Implementing the National CLAS Standards
- National CLAS Standards
- CLAS Education
- How-to Guide: Providing CLAS
- Resource Library
- Implementation Checklist for the National CLAS Standards
- A Blueprint for Advancing and Sustaining CLAS Policy and Practice
- Translated Resources and Materials for Medicare Providers
Health Equity News
News
Resiliency in Long-Term Care (LTC) Training ECHO Series
GPQIN Webinar: Growing, Developing and Sustaining the Community Health Worker Workforce | March 28, 2023
Alzheimer’s Association Highlights the Effectiveness of Memory Activation
CARE Connections: Best Practice Briefs Series
- PDF Documents: Get Adobe® Reader®