The AAMC Center for Health Justice launched in September 2021 to look beyond medical care alone to the other factors that create opportunities for communities to be healthy and thrive. The goal of the new center was to spark novel collaborations with diverse sectors and individuals, each contributing their unique resources in service of the common cause of health justice.
One year later, we’re celebrating what we’ve accomplished so far, and making plans for the year ahead. In case you missed them, here are some highlights from the center’s first year:
- The Principles of Trustworthiness discussion guides, videos, and workshops are ready-to-use tools for organizations working to become trustworthy partners to their communities through humility, authenticity, intersectionality, and long-term commitment.
- A two-year pilot was launched in partnership with Vanderbilt University to test and improve the Health Equity Inventory, a cloud-based data sharing tool for organizations working towards health equity.
- Building Trust and Confidence Through Partnerships grantees are making strides in promoting vaccine confidence thorough faith-based programs, comics, and technology.
- Four research briefs share key insights from the center’s national polling of adults on the community health issues most important to them.
- The Maternal Health Incubator, a two-day virtual convening, identified and shared evidence-based, innovative strategies to decrease racial and ethnic health inequities for birthing people. Recordings and summary graphics are now available; a proceedings report is coming this fall.
- The Multisector Partner Group is made up of leaders from sectors representing the diverse social and political determinants of health at the national and local levels. The members are important contributors to the strategy and agenda for the center.
- Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narratives, and Concepts, produced in partnership with the American Medical Association, guides institutions toward a deeper understanding of equity-focused, person-first language and narratives and why these choices matter.
- The center responded to requests for stakeholder engagement and provided important insight to federal agencies that work toward and fund health equity.
- AAMC CHARGE (the Collaborative for Health Equity: Act, Research, Generate Evidence) held webinars and happy hours and is home to a vibrant virtual community, connecting health equity champions from across the U.S.
Stay tuned for updates on future initiatives from the Center for Health Justice in the months and years to come. Have a question or want to collaborate with us? Follow us on Twitter or contact us.