On May 7th, over 1,000 individuals gathered in Kansas City, Missouri for the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference. The conference kicked off with an opening session led by Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health and 2024 chair of the AHA Board of Trustees. In her speech, Dr. Conroy emphasized the importance of partnerships among hospitals, health systems, patients, community members, and organizations focused on community and public health in identifying and eliminating barriers to equitable healthcare.
The first day of the conference featured keynote remarks from Clint Smith, a bestselling author of “How the Word Is Passed” and a staff writer at The Atlantic. Participants also had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions focused on addressing social determinants of health within hospitals. These sessions included discussions on integrating screening and referral systems into electronic health records and collaborating with community-based organizations to improve care coordination.
Speakers from ChristianaCare, Memorial Healthcare System, and LSU Health Sciences Center shared their insights and experiences in this area.
In addition to these breakout sessions, representatives from CHRISTUS Health and LMH Health led a discussion on strategies for leadership and governing boards to prioritize health equity within their organizations. The conference also recognized five health organizations with the AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award.
Those honored included Essentia Health, John Muir Health, University Hospitals, Munson Healthcare, and Palomar Health.
Overall, the first day of the AHA Accelerating Health Equity Conference provided attendees with valuable insights, strategies, and examples of effective approaches to advancing health equity and improving healthcare outcomes for all individuals.
The conference continued on May 8th with more presentations from experts in the field. Participants left feeling inspired by the knowledge they gained during these two days in Kansas City.
