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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 small steps that lead to big impact.
The above picture, which shows a close-up of a running track, states "Big journeys begin with small steps."
How do you meet complex issues with meaningful solutions when faced with limited time and resources? Complicated, large-scale strategies aren’t always the answer. Civilla, a public-serving, human-centered design studio, recently shared their thoughts on a different approach: Starting small.
Small actions matter. Consider how Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955 was one seemingly small act that catalyzed the civil rights movement. Small steps honor “the power of gradual evolution over sudden evolution.” They’re often less risky, more adaptable, and more scalable.
So, what small step can you take to create meaningful change where you are? Put people first. Empathy for the communities we serve is key to creating solutions that truly work. When faced with complex challenges, we can begin by asking ourselves: Who is this for and what is their need? Spend time listening.
Putting people first is one small, yet significant step we can take to make life a little easier for the people of Washington, ourselves included.
What can you do to put people first today?
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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 we work to foster such an environment is through the below PEAR workstreams. The workstreams are prioritizing these health equity areas at HCA:
- Leadership Operations & Services
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Data Strategy & Reporting
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Engagement & Community Partnership
- Workforce Equity
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Equity embedded into health plan contracts
We've been working for the last year to ensure equity is present in HCA's health plan contracts. The goal is to incorporate equity components into contracts for Apple Health (Medicaid) managed care organizations (MCO), Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB), and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) health plans.
We are excited to announce MCO contract updates will be effective July 1, 2024. For our PEBB and SEBB commercial contracts, implementation is slated to occur on January 1, 2026. We are the first agency in the country to do this work.
HCA's data strategy refresh
As part of a broad, intentional effort to incorporate health equity into our data, several new workgroups are in the process of being created and will directly inform the way that we collect, represent, and understand our data. These groups will develop into permanent, dedicated bodies that continue to inform our use of data into the future.
Reentry Demonstration Initiative
In late May, HCA invited Washington State carceral facilities to participate in the Reentry Initiative, and more than 40 facilities have expressed interest. The Reentry Initiative is a new Apple Health (Medicaid) initiative under the Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP). It provides essential, pre-release services for individuals leaving incarceration. Visit our reentry page for details.
Equity at Work: Navigating Neurodiversity, Accessibility, and Productivity
Sensory Tool House, LLC provided a three-day training to help HCA staff learn more about the benefits and challenges of a neurodiverse workforce. The training covered topics like:
The training helped staff build a better understanding of the strengths and challenges associated with neurodivergence. This includes how to implement accommodations and supports that help a person regulate across a range of environments and facilitate the needs and well-being of all workforce members.
Supervisors learned interview and onboarding techniques to enhance job applicants’ experiences as well as how training resources, effective communication tactics, and scheduling can impact employees and team culture.
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Apple Health Expansion launches
On June 20, 2024, HCA began enrolling eligible individuals into Apple Health Expansion, with coverage beginning July 1, 2024. Individuals may be eligible for Apple Health Expansion if they are aged 19 and older with certain immigration statuses (including undocumented individuals). This new program is one of many over the years that has expanded eligibility for Apple Health to more people in Washington State.
Washington to join national effort to improve health equity in Medicaid
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) recently announced Washington was selected to participate in the Medicaid Health-Related Social Needs Implementation Learning Series. Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) are a person’s unmet social needs that can lead to or cause poor health outcomes. Some outcomes include unstable housing, homelessness, and nutrition insecurity—all of which are more common in Medicaid communities—specifically communities of color and disenfranchised and under resourced communities. Read more about the learning series.
NASHP data-driven policy making
HCA was selected to participate in the National Academy for State Health Policy's (NASHP's) learning lab to support states in data-driven policy making approaches to address health disparities. The program consisted of six months of virtual learning sessions, including:
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Three roundtable discussions with states about their data strategies
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Individually tailored sessions to create a workplan
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Monthly technical assistance calls with NASHP
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Peer-to-peer exchange with other participating states (Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Oklahoma)
- Interactions with other states that are advancing similar work (Minnesota and Massachusetts)
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The spotlight is a feature that recognizes an individual, program, or effort at HCA that is advancing health equity.
Black History Month is an opportunity to spotlight and celebrate the achievements that African Americans have accomplished in this country, despite the history of racism and oppression. Continued engagement with history is vital because it helps give context to where we are and where we are going. Recognizing this month-long observance provides a reminder to us all that we must be the change we want to see in this world. Read this spotlight.
The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis across the country. Substance use and overdose deaths from opioids—particularly fentanyl—continue to increase at a significant rate. This is especially true in Tribal communities, where life expectancy has dropped by 6.6 years. In Washington State, Native people are three times more likely to suffer drug-induced deaths and five times more likely to die from synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, than the general population.
WSTPS is a way some Tribes are helping Washington communities—Tribal and non-Tribal—create healthy environments to combat the opioid crisis. It is a 10-year prevention model pilot that will build off the strengths of Tribal health and wellness efforts. Read this spotlight.
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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.
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