Health Equity
Unfortunately, health inequities are a sad reality in the United States health care system. Together with the inheritable blood and bleeding disorders community and partners, NBDF is working to elevate the voice of lived experience experts (LEEs), to create equitable access to care and quality treatments by communicating and encouraging cultural humility from providers throughout the continuum of care.
By committing to the cause of health equity through a variety of efforts, including, but not limited to: bi-annual health equity summits (on even years), community roundtables (on odd years), training of HEDI champions consisting of NBDF staff, a robust option of Employee Resource Groups for employees to choose from, providing technical assistance (trainings, presentations, translation, etc.) both internally and externally as requested, implementation of our 10 year plan strategically focusing on five priority populations.
Explore this page to learn more.
Sadly, many individuals are impacted by health inequities daily. This includes but is not limited to Hispanic patients, Black or African American patients, indigenous patients, immigrant populations, LGBTQIA+ individuals, rural patients, and more.
Studies have shown that implicit bias among medical professionals puts certain patients – such as women or African American patients – at risk for misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments, and compromised care. For many communities impacted by health inequities or inequalities, disparities can be traced to unfortunate legacies of societal inequities both within and separate from the health system.
In addition, federally funded research practices have just recently begun to account for health inequities in the last few decades, since women and people of color weren’t legally required to be included in clinical trials until the early 1990s.
In addition to various programs and resources centered around health equity, diversity, and inclusion, the foundation is focusing on several principles of health equity including but not limited to: Amplifying the public health issues of sexism, racism, and other forms of bias; working to include the participation of historically underrepresented populations within clinical trials; and supporting legislation that promotes affordable and culturally responsive health care.
There’s many ways to get involved, including but not limited to:
- Join a Health Equity Task Force to address the four overarching themes of Access, Mental Health, Health System Navigation, and Payer/Policy. Volunteers can join one task force at a time to be a part of a collaborative partnership that is working toward realistic solutions for the community. Each group has a limit of 20 persons per group.
- Sign up to become an NHF advocate and learn how to share the importance of health equity with your elected officials
- Sign up for NHF emails to stay up to date with the latest DEI news
- Subscribe to HemAware to receive a free bi-yearly magazine
- Share relevant posts on social media – click the links to repost NHF content on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram
Employee Diversity
The foundation recognized that in order to commit to DEI principles while serving the community, an internal commitment must be adhered to as well. An official commitment to DEI principles for its staff and has incorporated the following value statements into our work:
Diversity – We recognize and value diverse experiences of our employees and those we serve. We strive to ensure that our team is reflective of the communities that we serve.
Equity – We recognize inequities exist for marginalized groups and this directly contributes to disparities in access, treatment, and opportunities for those we serve. We strive to create an environment where equity exists, and our communities and employees thrive.
Inclusion – We recognize the importance of valuing and belonging. We strive to make space for policies, processes, and efforts where our employees and community are valued and included.
Additionally, there are guiding DEI principles for employees to rely upon. Click here to read a PDF detailing these principles.
To better help employees understand their diverse experiences and build respect for one another, the foundation has also established Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that are open to all employees and create safe spaces to exchange shared experiences. Here’s a glimpse into some of the organization's ERGs:
- Asian Pacific Islander Heritage and Allies
- Black Heritage and Allies
- Book Club
- Crafts & Things
- Foodies & Scrubbies
- Get Moving
- Hispanic/Latino Heritage and Allies
- Indigenous Peoples and Allies
- LGBTQIA+ and Allies
- Parents & Guardians
- People with Disabilities, Caregivers, and Allies
- TV & Film Buffs
HEDI Champions Program
Our HEDI champions consist of NBDF staff who are self-nominated to be a part of the program. The goal of the program is to train our champions to ensure that Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the forefront of everything they do on behalf of NBDF.
If a person is interested in attending future Health Equity Summits, please click here.
Updates on Racial Equity & Health Policy from KFF
For more information and updates, visit https://www.KFF.org.
