Session Description
The Root Causes of Health Initiative (RoCHI) serves as a catalyst for understanding and addressing the systemic factors contributing to health disparities. Through this initiative, MDH’s “Team M.O.R.E. (Maryland Operates to Reach Equity)” implemented a quality improvement process that systematically assesses the operational equity of programs or services within the MDH Prevention and Health Promotion Administration (PHPA), with the long-term goal of advancing health equity in Maryland. PHPA launched its first RoCHI cohort in Fall 2022 and has hosted subsequent cohorts annually in Fall 2023 and 2024. Each participating program analyzed its “equity of reach and impact” by assessing enrollment and outcome data and comparing it to expected statewide race/ethnicity estimates based on the program’s eligibility requirements. PHPA aims to scale this process throughout the administration by building expertise at the bureau level to ultimately increase the number of programs participating each year. This initiative demonstrates a clear commitment to utilizing data to identify and address health inequities systematically. Through these routine quality improvement efforts, PHPA works to ensure that everyone experiences equitable health outcomes and more efficient use of resources by preventing costly health complications and reducing the burden on healthcare systems caused by preventable diseases and conditions. This session will feature insights from all previous RoCHI cohorts, specifically highlighting analyses from programs in PHPA’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services Bureau (IDPHSB) and PHPA's Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Outbreak Response Bureau (IDEORB).
Session Takeaways
RoCHI exhibits MDH's commitment to health equity, fostering systematic improvement in program operations and ultimately health outcomes.
IDPHSB's program analyses for HIV prevention and MADAP reveal disparities in reach by race and HIV risk exposure, and disparities in viral suppression among clients who disengage from MADAP services. These findings highlight urgent needs for targeted interventions to enhance access and meet benchmarks crucial for advancing equity in HIV prevention and care.
Through IDEORB's root cause analysis, racial disparities in influenza surveillance echo the need for cross-sector interventions beyond vaccination to address healthcare access and social determinants of health.
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