When the Joint Commission rolled out its health equity certification, it only made sense for Rush University Medical Center to seek the voluntary designation.
The medical center has long been nationally recognized for going above and beyond to ensure that patients, families and local neighborhoods have the chance to be healthy. Being among the first to earn Health Care Equity certification further cements that legacy.
To determine whether care is delivered equitably for all patients, a Joint Commission surveyor traced a patient’s path through the emergency department and an inpatient unit. After reviewing the patient’s records and interviewing staff involved in the patient’s care, the surveyor lauded how Rush’s commitment to identifying and closing health care disparities was put into practice. They highlighted the work of case managers and social workers, a multidisciplinary approach to screening for social needs, and the removal of communication barriers through interpreter use.
“A defining element of Rush is our collective unwillingness to accept that intractable problems cannot be solved,” said David Ansell, MD, MPH. “When we saw that clinical excellence alone was insufficient to address lifespan gaps, we embarked upon our anchor mission strategy to channel locally the economic benefits of how we hire, purchase and invest in order to improve the health of entire communities, while also embedding health equity principles into existing workflows.”
Plans to address health equity at Rush have followed the same disciplined, data-driven culture that has consistently ranked the medical center among the country’s top hospitals for patient care, according to Ansell.
“This certification distinguishes those organizations that have made health care equity a strategic priority and those that collaborate with patients, families, caregivers and external organizations to help translate equitable health care into better health outcomes,” wrote Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of accreditation and certification operations and chief nursing officer for The Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission noted that Rush has distinguished itself by making health care equity a strategic priority and partnering with external organizations to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
In 2016, Rush became one of the first hospitals in the country to make health equity a strategic organizational priority after community health needs assessments revealed a 16-year gap in life expectancy among people living near the medical center and in communities on Chicago’s West Side.
When deeper analysis of the underlying causes of these life-shortening health disparities indicated they were primarily driven by social, economic and environmental factors, Rush expanded its mission beyond providing world-class patient care to include improving the health of the communities it serves.
“As Rush leaders, we are proud that the Joint Commission saw what we see every day: the commitment that everyone should have the same chance to be healthy drives and defines us,” Ansell said.
Read more about Rush’s health equity efforts here: Rush in the Community.
