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Dr. Sejal Hathi, Director of the Oregon Health Authority and an ASTHO Member, dives into her state’s strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030; Shalini Nair, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease, wrote an article about ASTHO’s...
Dr. Sejal Hathi, Director of the Oregon Health Authority and an ASTHO Member, dives into her state’s strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030; Shalini Nair, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease, wrote an article about ASTHO’s work with the National Community Action Partnership to address disparities in adult immunizations; and an ASTHO blog article outlines how diversity can create a healthier society.
Oregon Health Authority Web Page: Oregon Health Authority Strategic Plan
ASTHO Blog Article: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Public Health: Creating a Healthier Society
JANSON SILVERS:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, October 21, 2024. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
SEJAL HATHI:
Top priority in our strategic plan is to transform our behavioral health system so that it works for every child, teen, adult, and family.
SILVERS:
The Oregon Health Authority launches a first-in-the-nation, strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030. Dr. Sejal Hafi, director of the Oregon Health Authority and an ASTHO member, says the strategic plan has five pillars of work to focus on.
HATHI:
Transforming behavioral health, increasing access to care, investing in public health and prevention, achieving tribal communities, and ensuring we have the organizational capabilities and infrastructures to model equity in our own workplace.
SILVERS:
The Oregon Health Authority is working closely with the governor and legislators to ensure this is a priority.
HATHI:
We have fewer than half of the more than 3000 residential treatment beds that we need, and in the coming year, we expect to fund more than 400. That's a big lift in a tight budget cycle where we had virtually no money to work with, but we're committed to expanding treatment, increasing capacity and providing more culturally responsive services.
SILVERS:
Hathi says they're investing in patient capacity and workforce capacity.
HATHI:
We're also investing to expand the capacity and the size of our behavioral health workforce. Already, we've provided more than 300 million in workforce incentives and increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers by up to 30%.
SILVERS:
You can read more about Oregon's strategic health plan and watch a video explaining the plan by clicking the link in the show notes.
For the past several years, ASTHO has been working with the National Community Action Partnership and five community action agencies to address disparities in adult immunizations. ASTHO's Shalini Nair recently worked on an article in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice about the efforts.
SHALINI NAIR:
These agencies have been working on the ground to increase vaccine equity by hosting community events, providing access to healthcare, access to different vaccinations in the community, and really just providing health education in regard to immunization and infectious diseases.
SILVERS:
Nair says partnering with community action agencies just makes sense based on the work they're already doing.
NAIR:
A lot of the work that community action already does is in complement to public health. So, this is about the potential for health agencies and other health-related entities to capitalize on community action as a really crucial partner.
SILVERS:
Decreasing vaccine disparities is perfectly in line with the holistic approach community action agencies take to better their surroundings.
NAIR:
It views the elimination of poverty and the creation of opportunity as really a culmination of several social determinants, including those that we often address in public health, like vaccination, access to preventive care and access to healthy food.
SILVERS:
Nair's full article is online. You can use the link in the show notes to read it.
Also today, an ASTHO blog article outlines how diversity can create a healthier society. O'Keyla Cooper has more.
O'KEYLA COOPER:
A recent ASTHO blog article discusses the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in public health. By prioritizing these values, public health leaders can better serve diverse communities and reduce health disparities. To read the full article, check out the link in the show notes.
SILVERS:
Finally, this morning, get all the latest from the world of public health delivered to your inbox each and every week when you sign up for ASTHO's Public Health Weekly newsletter. ASTHO members: interviews, resources and more are all available. Sign up now using the link in the show notes.
That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
