Description

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 held its second cohort in Fall 2023. 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 highlight and feature insights from PHPA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and Influenza Prevention Activities Program, which participated in the 2022 and 2023 RoCHI cohorts.

Session Takeaways

RoCHI exhibits MDH's commitment to health equity, fostering systematic improvement in program operations and ultimately health outcomes.

BCCP's data analysis reveals disparities in reaching non-Hispanic Black women, highlighting urgent needs for targeted interventions to enhance access and meet benchmarks crucial for advancing equity in cancer care.

Racial disparities in influenza surveillance echo the need for cross-sector interventions beyond vaccination to address healthcare access and SDOH.

Ideal Audience Description

This session is ideal for other state and local health departments that are seeking actionable strategies and insights to address health disparities through the use of equity-related data as a means to conduct routine quality improvements and improve prog