Commitment to Fair and Just Health Care

Catholic Health defines health equity using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) definition: health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Catholic Health also ascribes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advancement of health equity actions, including:
  • Identify health disparities.
  • Define specific and actionable goals for addressing any disparities identified.
  • Prioritize populations and communities that are historically underserved.
  • Establish and implement their organization’s health equity strategy.
  • Determine what tools and resources their organization needs to implement its strategy.
  • Monitor and evaluate progress in addressing health disparities.

Community Health Roadmap

Catholic Health’s Community Health Roadmap incorporates health equity into every aspect. The Roadmap’s objectives and action steps guide Catholic Health along the health equity journey. Explore below our pillars of community health.

Community Health Roadmap Graphic

 
Catholic Health is working to incorporate an improved organizational culture of health equity. More than 17,000 employees at Catholic Health were educated on the tenets and practices of health equity, which was achieved through numerous in-service and educational objectives. Ongoing training, self-evaluation, and quality improvement will ensure that Catholic Health successfully provides equitable health care.
Equity programs must be based on appropriate collection, stratification and analysis of demographic and epidemiologic outcome data. Geographic data, whether census tract or zip code data, will be used to identify the community's needs and help identify vital stakeholders and strategic initiatives to improve health disparities. 
Community member participation in their health care will ultimately lead to improved outcomes. Access to care is a key component of achieving participation in care, and outcome measures will be used to assess internal efforts at community engagement. Targeted community engagement based on statistical needs, health disparities, and outcome measures ensures we provide tailored services to individuals and communities.  
Catholic Health supports a “well care” strategy over the more traditional “sick care” often offered by hospitals and hospital systems. In our model of well care, addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) as a means of helping people stay healthy and out of the hospital is a guiding principle. 
Catholic Health diligently monitors updates and new procedures and reporting regulations from major oversight, regulatory and evaluative bodies, including but not limited to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Joint Commission, and Leapfrog. Training our staff in new rules and reporting requirements is embedded in equity metrics and training. Catholic Health strives to achieve the highest scores on reviews, meet all emerging measures and reporting requirements and comply with new imperatives related to health equity, health disparities, evaluation and any identified necessary corrective measures.
Catholic Health has been preparing for the expected enactment of the 1115 Medicaid Waiver in New York State. 

Health Equity Leadership Council

Catholic Health’s Health Equity Leadership Council champions and stewards our continued advancements in health equity for patients, employees and the Long Island community in a manner consistent with our responsibilities under state and federal law and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services as interpreted and applied by the Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. 

Catholic Health is dedicated to ensuring that excellent health outcomes are available to everyone who presents at our facilities or physician practice locations, notwithstanding the social, political, economic or other conditions commonly resulting in and perpetuating injustice or inequity among individuals. 

The Council's mission:

  • Establish Catholic Health as the most trusted health care system on Long Island by its dedication to justice in its delivery of health services. 
  • Align the system with its Catholic mission to reach and serve all communities, especially the most vulnerable, through the stewardship and deployment of its resources to advance health equity.
  • Increase, improve and leverage community relationships and partnerships to inspire, empower and sustain individuals to augment their health.
  • Integrate consideration of health equity into all aspects of the system’s operations. 
  • Address and ameliorate social determinants of health to improve overall health outcomes and decrease unnecessary hospital admissions and readmissions. 
  • Meet emerging regulatory and industry requirements relative to health equity. 
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mobile outreach van

Spotlight on Food-To-Go Bags

Our award-winning food insecurity screening program is offered in all Catholic Health Emergency Departments (EDs) across Long Island. Patients who screen positive for food insecurity receive a “food-to-go bag” from Long Island Cares. While that bag is only meant to cover food needs over the first couple of days post-discharge, social work teams address the social service need and ensure ongoing food and nutrition services are implemented.
Learn more about our community health services