Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Complex care is at the forefront of efforts within healthcare to address social and economic drivers of health as a strategy to improve health equity.
Because of racism, economic injustice, homo/transphobia, xenophobia, misogyny, and other systemic oppressions, many individuals with complex health and social needs are members of marginalized groups. Complex care reduces disparities and advances health equity by:
- Focusing on individuals with the poorest outcomes, and centering the voice of the individual receiving care in care planning and delivery.
- Identifying and documenting where and who the existing delivery system fails to adequately serve and redesigning these systems to meet both the immediate and long-term needs and these populations and the community at-large.
- Building cross-sector ecosystems of care and encouraging health systems to share power with community organizations.
- Expanding how value is assessed to align organizations’ priorities and practices with the needs of the populations they serve.
- Implementing policy and structural changes that target the underlying drivers of health inequities.
The field of complex care was formed by providers, leaders, consumers, and advocates from across the country who noticed the stark inequities that our fragmented care delivery systems produce and who came together to create a more holistic, equitable approach to care. Join us in advancing health equity through complex care: sign up for our newsletter to learn about new resources, webinars, and more, and join us at our annual conference.