Advancing Health Equity Toolkit

Within health care settings, there is a renewed focus on efforts to advance health equity. Furthermore, there is strong evidence of a commitment to ensure equitable practices are tied to the core work of improving quality and advancing health equity. To support Wisconsin hospitals and health systems starting from different points on their journey to strengthen health equity, WHA has consolidated a suite of tools and resources to help members in their efforts to advance health equity in their communities.

WHA Contact

Nadine Allen
Chief Quality Officer
608-274-1820
EMAIL: Nadine Allen

Education

In 2022, the WHA Quality team and Information Center continue to deliver valuable information to help hospitals and health systems improve health outcomes in their communities using social determinants of health. Catch up on all four recorded webinars below:

Part I: Setting the Stage for Social Determinants of Health
January 26, 2022

Part II: Mentor Highlight featuring Bellin Health
April 27, 2022

Part III: Mentor Highlight featuring Children’s Wisconsin
July 27, 2022

Part IV: Mentor Highlight featuring Fort Healthcare, UniteUs and Health Equity Regulatory Updates
October 26, 2022

Data Tools

Data remains a critical part of supporting health equity in hospitals and health systems and their communities. WHA members are required to log in to the Member Portal to access these tools:

Health Equity Organizational Assessment Dashboard

The Health Equity Organizational Assessment Dashboard is offered to all hospitals to assist with awareness and training to address gaps. Newly created in May 2022, the tool is a visual display available on WHA portal for participating hospitals, with links to tools and resources on best practices.

Community Health Needs Assessment Mapping Tool

The Community Health Needs Assessment Mapping Tool is an interactive tool that helps hospitals and their community partners geographically identify areas and types of need through comparison of clinical and community characteristics.

More Resources

The Joint Commission's R3 Report - Published June 20, 2022, The Joint Commission's R3 Report provides rationale and references for the new requirements, effective January 1, 2023, to reduce health care disparities.

Prospective Payment System (PPS) Inpatient Rules and Summaries - WHA has consolidated resources for PPS Inpatient rules, including rule summaries and hospital-specific analyses.

Infographic: Using Z Codes: The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Data Journey to Better Outcomes - Download this infographic, produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Minority Health, to learn more about using Z Codes.

Health Equity Organizational Assessment (HEOA) Resource Guide - Read WHA's guidance for hospitals who are interested in investigating resources in eight key Health Equity Organizational Assessment (HEOA) categories, which support quality improvement efforts aimed at the reduction of disparities in care.

2021 Community Benefits Report - In 2021, WHA added a new category for health equity in its annual Community Benefits report. See how Wisconsin hospitals are improving community access to health care and address health disparities.

Download Using Z Codes Infographic