Advancing Health Equity
A reflection tool for organizations, programs, and individuals committed to equity
Agency-Focused Change for Health Equity
Evidence-based decision-making can positively advance the climate and culture of any agency. Integrating health equity in agency decisions, policies and programs is important because long-term goals and everyday choices influence those who work in the agency and those who live in the communities served by public health. Agencies and individuals within those agencies should consider how every decision, from internal functions like hiring practices and training to external work like community assessment and program implementation affect health outcomes . The focus of the key questions in this module is to look internally at the policies, practices, and systems that may need to change in order to support health equity work.
As you move forward with this tool consider how you will advance health equity using evidence-based decision making within an agency.
The next module is Community Engagement for Health Equity.
Organizational Practices
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Does our organization have a stated commitment to health equity? 1
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Is this commitment documented and widely understood? 1
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How do our current organizational policies and practices facilitate or inhibit us from advancing health equity?
Core Questions
Workforce Development
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What can we do differently to improve or enhance our capacity to advance health equity? 1
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How can we build a skilled and diverse workforce committed to health equity? 1
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How do our recruitment efforts support or hinder us in building a diverse staff and management team committed to health equity? 1
Programs and Services
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How can we integrate health equity into our products and service offerings? 1
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What are the cultural and linguistic preferences of our community members? 1
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How can we revise our services and resources to accommodate those preferences? 1
Community Partnerships and Engagement
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How can our partnerships and community outreach efforts help to advance health equity? 1
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What existing partnerships do we have with organizations serving populations experiencing health inequities? 1
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What new partnerships should we consider exploring to fulfill our commitment to health equity? 1
Funding Decisions
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How can funding decisions advance our health equity efforts? 1
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How do the funds we typically seek align with identified health equity needs in the community? 1
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How is the program or policy currently funded and what are the limitations of that funding?
Agency Budget
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Do we allocate agency resources to advancing health equity? Do we allocate funding for dedicated staff positions for health equity work? How can we realign agency resources to dedicate more funding for this work?
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In the creation of your budget, how are you engaging the various levels of your staff and the different population groups represented on your staff?
