Addressing Health Disparities Through Innovative Partnerships

Executive Dialogue

Cooperative cross-sector collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront health inequities and further highlighted how societal factors influence health. The uneven distribution of access to care and its delivery has created health disparities across racial, ethnic, gender and socio-economic lines. The data make it clear — understanding and addressing societal factors are necessary to meet the needs of communities and/or individuals facing inequity, including communities of color. Solving this problem requires engagement and action between the health care field and community stakeholders. This virtual executive dialogue convened hospital executives across the country to discuss how health equity can progress through collaboration and partnerships.