Author: Britani Spaulding, Health Equity Program Officer, Deloitte Health Equity Institute
As leaders measure their progress and return on investment of health equity initiatives, it appears there is some sentiment that change is not happening as quickly as expected. However, achieving health equity requires addressing the root causes of health inequities – factors like racism and bias, structural flaws inside and outside of the health care system, and the social, economic, and environmental drivers (or determinants) of health. These factors are largely the result of systemic issues that have perpetuated in the United States for centuries. As a result, change and impact will likely be incremental, and returns on investment may not be realized overnight.
The Deloitte* Health Equity Institute (DHEI) defines health equity as the fair and just opportunity for everyone to fulfill their human potential in all aspects of health and well-being regardless of their circumstances and experiences. Everyone should have the opportunity to thrive regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability status, geography, or other characteristics. While health equity is often framed as an outcome, it can also be viewed as a process that includes removing obstacles to optimal health, collaborating in the design of interventions, providing resources where needed, and embedding equity in processes and practices. The Deloitte Health Equity Institute (DHEI) was established in 2021 to help drive measurable impact at scale, by supporting collaborators through a blended approach of philanthropic donations and pro bono services by Deloitte Consulting LLP, to provide resources to community-based organizations implementing programs and interventions to advance health equity. Since its establishment, DHEI has provided $30 million in funding to over 50 community collaborators and subgrantees, spanning over 20 unique geographies. This includes a focus on equipping key decision makers with tools and resources to help organizations across the country advance health equity as a strategic imperative. DHEI’s collaboration with The Leverage Network supports the Beyond Boundaries Program. Given that health inequities disproportionately impact racially and ethnically diverse people, diversity in leadership can be an important aspect of helping to close equity gaps.
Health inequities can affect people on an individual level, including employees who make up the fabric of an organization. As the decision makers in an organization, Board and C-Suite leaders play an important role in supporting innovation and change around issues of equity and can embed health equity into organizational strategy. Analysis from Deloitte estimates that health inequities in the United States account for roughly $320 billion in health care spending each year, which could grow to $1 trillion by 2040 if left unaddressed. The long-term value of closing equity gaps can help create healthier individuals, communities, and companies. When thinking about achieving health equity from a moral standpoint, it is the right thing to do to create a more equitable society. However, as leaders navigate economic headwinds, competing resources, and complex organizational challenges, addressing health equity may not always be a top priority from a business standpoint, especially for those outside of the life sciences and health care industries.
Work is a determinant of health and intersects with many of the social drivers that impact individuals such as access to care, income, and mental health. For example, an employee’s access to affordable employer-sponsored health plans can impact their ability to get the healthcare they need. On the other hand, addressing health equity can impact an organization’s bottom line. A healthier workforce is associated with increased productivity, as healthy employees are less likely to miss work due to illness. In addition, improved employee heath can help employers reduce healthcare costs, which was projected to rise by 7% in 2024. Addressing health equity cannot exist in a vacuum and one-off or short-term effort will not fix long-term issues. Measurable changes and outcomes, and a return on investment likely requires embedding health equity into every level of an organization with accountability structures in place to measure progress. For sustainability, health equity strategies and initiatives shouldn’t only be associated with the role of a designated health equity leader within an organization because they generally cannot accomplish their work alone. Achieving health equity is likely to require long-term support, investment, resources, and commitment from all leaders. Every leader can play a role in improving the well-being their organization, workforce, and consequently the communities and individuals they serve by taking action while working towards improved outcomes.
While addressing health equity is not a one-sized fits all approach, there are a few steps leaders can take to help advance health equity within their organizations –
- Increase your understanding of health equity and help other leaders understand the moral and business imperative for addressing health equity.
- Evaluate your employee benefits and plans offering and redesign offerings if needed to help employees improve their health. Improve employee literacy of benefits and make them easy to navigate.
- Access available resources to help assess and understand where your organization is on their health equity journey and implement strategies and interventions to address social drivers of health.
- Collaborate with organizations to implement strategies and interventions to address social drivers of health.
- Collect data to set organizational goals and identify key performance indicators measure progress to drive accountability.
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+The American Heart Association’s Health Equity in the Workforce is an initiative in collaboration with the Deloitte Health Equity Institute
and the SHRM Foundation.