Equity Edition newsletter

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 03/06/2024 10:03 AM PST

March 6, 2024

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Welcome to the Equity Edition!

The Equity Edition is the Health Care Authority's (HCA's) newsletter that provides information on our health equity and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts. Equity Edition also shares what's happening in the Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) sphere.

But before we dive into our updates, let's talk about privilege.

Wait, what's privilege?

HCA defines privilege as one or a set of unearned benefits given to people because of their membership in a specific social group. An individual can have one or more privileges and/or disadvantages.

The graphic below, which we call the privilege flower—or power flower— shows how the aspects that make us who we are impact our level of privilege. Our education, skin color, age, citizenship, and many other aspects give us more privilege or power than others. The closer you are to the center of the flower, the more privilege you have.

The privilege flower graphic shows how the aspects that make us who we are impact our level of privilege.

In this issue

PEAR updates
Health equity in Apple Health
In other news
Health Equity Spotlight
Learn more

PEAR updates

PEAR is an Executive Order from Governor Inslee and overseen and supported by the Washington State Office of Equity.

The purpose of PEAR at HCA is to foster an environment that creates belonging and establishes a pro-equity and anti-racist culture for HCA employees and the people we work with and serve.

On way to foster such an environment is through our four PEAR workstreams:

Leadership Operations & Services
Data Strategy & Reporting
Engagement & Community Partnership
Workforce Equity

Workstream updates

Leadership Operations & Services is working on developing leadership training and ways we can hold our leaders accountable to our PEAR work and deliverables.

Data Strategy & Reporting is working on embedding health equity into HCA's Apple Health (Medicaid) managed care contracts. They are also creating a Data Equity Strategic roadmap that aligns with the goals of the National Academy for State Health Policy.

Engagement & Community Partnerships is piloting a Community Engagement Mini-Guide for divisions and teams to use when inviting community members to participate in our work.

Workforce Equity is sharing hiring best practices in equity with HCA supervisors and managers.

Health equity in Apple Health

Apple Health Expansion

At the direction of the Legislature, HCA will expand health care coverage to more people. In 2022, they provided funding for HCA to explore what system and procedure changes would be needed to expand Apple Health coverage. HCA is currently developing plans for implementing Apple Health Expansion to adults, regardless of immigration status.

View our website.

Temporary Community Engagement Advisory Committee

Community engagement is a top priority during the development and implementation of Apple Health Expansion. That's why HCA developed the Temporary Community Engagement Advisory Committee, which is a collaboration between HCA, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, and the Department of Social and Health Services. Participation includes organizations and individuals with lived experiences who can guide and inform our work every step of the way.

Stay up to date on Apple Health Expansion. Sign up for email updates!

In other news

HCA Health Equity Director honored at Governor’s Outstanding Leadership
Award ceremony

Health Equity Director Dr. Quyen Huynh was among 22 state agency leaders recognized by Governor Jay Inslee for accomplishments made during the 2022 calendar year.

The Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Awards program was created in 1985 to honor state government leaders who exemplify leadership. Inslee expanded the criteria to include continuous improvement as well as pro-equity and anti-racism efforts.

Quyen was recognized for demonstrating exceptional leadership in advancing health equity and implementing PEAR initiatives. Read the story.

In the picture: Dr. Huynh (right) with Director Sue Birch (left).

HCA employee named the Society for Diversity’s member of the month

The Society of Diversity recently named Dennis Worrell as their member of the month. Dennis is celebrated for emphasizing the importance of health equity while connecting organizations with HCA’s various data products.

Health Equity Spotlight

The spotlight is a feature that recognizes an individual, program, or effort at HCA that is advancing health equity.

Making informed health care decisions

Shared decision making empowers patients and their families in making health care decisions with their providers, ensures unbiased presentation of options, and reduces provider assumptions about patient values. It considers what is important to the patient—and clinical evidence—so the patient can choose what is right for them.

Studies show that the use of patient decision aids can reduce disparities in care by increasing access to appropriate treatment in underserved populations, while decreasing inappropriate overuse in other populations. Visit our shared decision making page.

Washington's reentry program supports those leaving a carceral setting

The reentry program—a new program under the Medicaid Transformation Project renewal—provides essential services for individuals leaving a state prison, city/county jail, Tribal jail, youth rehabilitation center, or youth correctional facility.

Under this program, incarcerated individuals who are Medicaid-eligible will receive a set of services within 90 days before their release and prepare them for a successful transition and reentry into their community. Visit our reentry from a carceral setting page.

Native and Strong Lifeline

The Native and Strong Lifeline is a first-of-its-kind hotline dedicated to serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. The lifeline launched in November of 2022 to offer a new culture of healing that centers the lived experiences, traditions, and wisdom of Native people.

The lifeline is integrated into the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline system in Washington State. When someone calls 988 and presses 4, they are connected to the Native and Strong Lifeline. Operated by Volunteers of America, the lifeline has at least 14 Native staff taking calls 24/7.

Learn more

To HCA, health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Our vision is to represent a culture in which we recognize health inequities and work with the people we serve to reduce inequities.

Learn more about health equity and Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) efforts.

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

Functioning as both the state's largest health care purchaser and its behavioral health authority, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is a leader in ensuring Washington residents have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

There are three pillars of our work: Apple Health (Medicaid); the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) programs; and behavioral health and recovery. Under these pillars, HCA purchases health care, including behavioral health treatment for more than 2.7 million Washington residents and provides behavioral health prevention, crisis, and recovery supports to all Washington residents.

Please do not reply directly to this message. For more information, visit the HCA website, where you'll also find contact information.

Disclosure notice

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Nondiscrimination

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) complies with all applicable federal and Washington state civil rights laws and is committed to providing equal access to our services. Visit HCA’s website to view complete nondiscrimination statements.