We Are Called - Confronting Racism to Achieve Health Equity Conversation Series

We Are Called Conversation IV: Putting Our House in Order

This final conversation in our initial We Are Called series will focus on the call to the Catholic health ministry to examine all aspects of their organizations to ensure they are using their assets to proactively eliminate health disparities. This includes looking at how their organizations provide clinical care; how they recruit, hire, promote and retain employees; how they conduct their business operations, including visible diversity and inclusivity at the decision, leadership and governance levels; and how they incentivize and hold their leaders accountable to ensure they are truly dismantling and not perpetuating racism and inequity. 

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We Are Called Conversation I: Confronting Racism by Achieving Health Equity

This opening conversation will discuss how the events of last year have changed the way health care organizations look at systemic racism as the root cause of health disparities. Two CHA members will discuss why raising awareness and understanding of systemic racism and how it manifests itself in medicine are critical first steps to ensure we are working on the right problems and with the right people. In other words, we need to understand whether we are just treating the symptoms (health disparities) without curing the disease (systemic racism). Attendees will be encouraged to share their stories and perspectives.

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Access Passcode: Wearecalled1

Visit the We Are Called site to view resources on systemic racism

We Are Called Conversation II: Advocacy — Conversations on Advancing Policies to Eliminate Health Disparities and Systematic Racism

This second conversation in the series will center on CHA's advocacy priorities and strategies to move the Confronting Racism to Achieve Health Equity pledge forward and feature some of the innovative work of CHA members to open a robust discussion around policy and legislation.

As part of our pledge, we are committed to advocating change to:

• Eliminate health disparities. We will advocate policies that ensure access to quality health care services for all; end racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; promote and improve the delivery of culturally competent care; and increase the diversity of the health care work force.
• Eliminate systemic racism. We will oppose policies that exacerbate or perpetuate economic and social inequities as they greatly contribute to health disparities and systemic racism. We will call for changes to policies that shape people's lives - education, housing, nutrition, criminal justice reform and the environment - so that every man, woman and child in our society may flourish.

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Access Passcode: wearecalled1

Visit CHA's website to view policy briefs on Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health

We Are Called Conversation III: Building Trusted Community Relationships

Communities of color are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The effects of systemic racism in these communities – reflected in higher rates of chronic disease such as asthma and diabetes, less access to health care services, crowded housing, and a higher proportion of front-line jobs with limited sick leave or other protections – have left their residents particularly vulnerable to the pandemic. To help these communities recover and thrive in the future health care organizations need to understand how systemic racism, particularly medicine's role, created the conditions that allowed the pandemic to take such a deadly toll. This conversation will start to explore this question along with how healthcare can partner with these communities to build trust and work to change local policies and institutions that continue to perpetuate systemic racism and its harmful effects.

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Contact

For more information contact the CHA Service Center or Julie Trocchio, senior director, community benefit and continuing care.