The current debate on the need for reform of the U.S. healthcare system has largely ignored the disparities in health and healthcare among Americans in terms of race, ethnicity and gender. Disparities in health based on class have been raised, but usually only to acknowledge that more than 44 million people do not have health insurance. The public has not benefited from a serious debate about why particular groups face disproportionate barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage or why they bear disproportionate burdens of poor hear health. The failure to identify health disparities as critical social, economic and moral problems is disturbing in light of the evidence that exists documenting the disproportionate hardships endured by many individuals and families. For example, numerous studies over the past decade have documented that people of color have shorter life expectancies and worse health and healthcare than whites. See e.g. National Healthcare Disparities Report 2006 (U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, The Office of Minority Health). The report of the National Institute of Medicine, UNEQUAL TREAMENT: CONFRONTING RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE (2002) highlighted some disturbing findings:
Evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare is, with few exceptions, remarkably consistent across a range of illnesses and healthcare services. These disparities are associated with socieoeconomic differences and tend to diminish significantly, and in a few cases, disappear altogether when socioeconomic factors are controlled. The majority of studies, however, find that racial and ethnic disparities remain even after adjustment for socieoeconomic differences and other health related factors…Id at 5.
Pennsylvania has now joined the state governments that have acknowledged that the problems related to health disparities have such enormous economic and social consequences that state governments need to begin addressing the issue and has created the Pa. Office of Health Equity. The Office of Health Equity has been compiling information on disparities and best practices aimed at addressing those problems. In the present conference we have the benefit of three speakers who were either involved in the creation of the Office of Health Equity. Dr. Calvin Johnson, our keynote speaker was Secretary of Health and the creation of the Office of Health Equity is due in large part to his leadership. Marla Davis, Esq., currently Executive Director of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia served as Dr. Johnson’s Chief of Staff. In addition, one of our panelists, Jamahal C. Boyd, is currently the Executive Director of the Pa. Office of Health Equity.
This conference will review and highlight findings of health disparities, offer explanations of the causes and propose strategies to reduce the disparities. A helpful reference for approaching the study of health disparities appears in a report issued in December 1006 by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: MARYLAND PLAN TO ELIMINATE MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES (available at www.dhmh.state.md.us) At the Temple conference we plan to explore the issues, but also to go beyond the debate to lay a foundation for the formation of multi-disciplinary partnerships that can both address specific problems and develop models for others to do the same. A critical examination of health disparities is particularly important in light of States.
Each panel will identify and assess policies, practices and laws that impact on health disparities. The issues reviewed will include, among other matters, individual behavior, environment, access to healthcare, and insurance coverage. Panels will discuss the roles of federal, state and local governments, as well as profit and non-profit organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on the potential contributions that could be made by academic institutions to engage in research, teaching and other action that promotes the development of solutions to health disparities.
Included among the issues explored at the conference will be:
— Specific types of disparities and the principal causes
— Identification of Best Practices currently adopted to address disparities
— Identification of policies, practices and laws that facilitate solutions or create barriers to solutions
— Proposals for reform: Overcoming legal, economic, social, cultural and other significant barriers
— Exploration of the roles or multi-disciplinary partnerships to address disparities