Overview
The inaugural CMS Health Equity Conference was held on June 7-8, 2023, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and virtually. The theme of the 2023 conference was Framing the Future of Equitable Health Care. Featuring grand plenary sessions, breakout sessions, a poster hall, and a Federal Partner Showcase, the conference brought together leaders in health equity from federal agencies, health provider organizations, academia, and community-based organizations to share research, ideas, and initiatives that are measurably reducing disparities in CMS programs and increasing equity for all.
Plenary sessions
The 2023 CMS Health Equity Conference featured plenary remarks from speakers across the federal government, along with other health equity experts. Learn about and watch each session below.
Day 1 Opening Remarks & History of Health Equity
CMS Office of Minority Health Director Dr. LaShawn McIver welcomed attendees and introduced speakers including CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, ADM Rachel Levine, Dr. Andrea Hayes Dixon, Benjamin Smith, and Mayor Stephen Benjamin.
OMH Director’s Panel
Directors of various Offices of Minority Health from across the Department of Health and Human Services shared health equity initiatives across their respective agencies. The conversation included Dr. LaShawn McIver of CMS, Roslyn Moore of HHS, Christine Ramey of HRSA, Tenly Pau Biggs of SAMHSA, RDML Richardae Araojo of FDA, and Kisha Coa of AHRQ.
CMS Maternal Health Strategy
CMS OMH Deputy Director Pamela Gentry introduced the CMS Maternal Health Strategy panel, which featured Dr. Dora Hughes, Jean-Moody Williams, Dr. Aditi Mallick, and Tequila Terry representing three CMS offices and discussing efforts on CMS’ coordinated maternal care strategy.
Day 1 Closing Remarks
Dr. LaShawn McIver’s closing remarks on the first day of the CMS Health Equity Conference recapped the day's presentations.
Day 2 Opening Remarks, CMS Introductions, and Future of Health Equity
Pamela Gentry and Dr. LaShawn McIver started the second day of the CMS Health Equity Conference by introducing the Future of Health Equity plenary session speakers including Jelani Williams, Dr. Daniel Dawes, and Dr. Brian Smedley. Additionally, Dr. Dora Hughes, Dr. Douglas Jacobs, Jean Moody-Williams, Dr. Aditi Mallick, and Jeff Wu represented CMS leadership and discussed health equity in their respective offices.
Day 2 Closing Remarks
At the end of the two-day conference, Dr. LaShawn McIver thanked the attendees and speakers for joining CMS in its first ever Health Equity Conference.
Breakout sessions
Sessions throughout the conference focused on the five priorities for reducing disparities in health from the CMS Framework for Health Equity 2022-2032. Watch and learn more below.
- Advancing Health Equity at the CMS Innovation Center
CMS Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation representatives Laura McWright, Noemi Rudolph, Tequila Terry, Kate Davidson, Nora Fleming, Dr. Sarah Fogler, and Dr. Susannah Bernheim presented on how the center is advancing health equity. Moderator: Dr. Dora Hughes (CMS Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation).
- Amplifying Lived Experiences and Frontline Findings to Foster an Inclusive Healthcare Environment
Denise Hoffman (Mathematica) and Laura Erickson (HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation) presented on Improving Accessibility to Health Care with Equitable Communication. Dr. Kentrell Liddell (Test-Taking Solution Foundation) presented on Lived Experiences & Front-Line Findings: A Jackson, Mississippi Community Perspective of Health Equity. Lindsey Galli (PFCCpartners) and Naomi Williams (PFCCpartners) presented on Unlocking Diversity in Patient Family Engagement for Equity: An Inclusive Environment for All. Dr. Hoangmai H. Pham (Institute for Exceptional Care) and Dr. Teal Benevides (Augusta University) presented on Standardization Does Not Equal Equity: Supporting Health Outcomes That Matter Most to People with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities. Moderator: Mackenzie Marshall (Families USA).
- Center for Medicare Health Equity Actions
Dr. Douglas Jacobs (CMS Center for Medicare) and Molly Turco (CMS Center for Medicare) presented on leveraging Medicare to advance health equity through the collection, reporting, and analysis of standardized data and using that data to address inequities in policies and help close gaps. Moderator: Dr. Douglas Jacobs.
- Close the Health Care Gap by Unlocking the Power of Data to Advance Collection and Analysis
Dr. Lauren Amos (Mathematica) and Dr. Brittany McGill (HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation) presented on Advancing Equity in Data Collection and Analysis. Lisa Sloane (More Inclusive Healthcare) and Adrienne Gerlach (South Shore Health) presented on Practical Approaches to Increase Organizational Capacity to Collect Standardized Demographic Data within Complex Healthcare Environments. Andrea Moore (Quality Insights) and Dr. Amber Paulus (Virginia Commonwealth University) presented on Unlocking the Power of Data: A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Health Literacy in the Dialysis Practice Setting. Dr. Alena Baquet-Simpson (Aetna/CVS Health) and Shannon MacKenzie (Aetna/CVS Health) presented on Closing the Care Gap: A Multifaceted Approach for Diverse Medicare Advantage Populations. Moderator: Vacheria Keys (National Association of Community Health Centers).
- Community Powered Health: Igniting Change through Engagement and Community-Led Solutions
Melissa Fox (Acenda Integrated Health) and Dr. Melissa Clarke (BHE Group) presented on The Important Role of Community-led Solutions in Reducing Health Disparities. Desiree Collins Bradley (ATW Health Solutions) and Dr. Neelum T. Aggarwal (Rush University Medical Center) presented on Community Engagement in Stroke Preparedness Before and During COVID-19 the Road to Public Policy. Katie Ettman (SPUR) and Erika Hanson (Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School) presented on Building Capacity in Healthcare: Partnering with Communities to Address Social Determinants of Health. Lynn Mertz, PhD (AARP) and Theresa L. Edelstein, MPH, LNHA (New Jersey Hospital Association) presented on LEAD Collaborative Takes on Health Disparities Together. Dr. Gretchen Susi (Maimonides Medical Center) and Jeffannie O’Garro (Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health) presented on Reducing Health Disparities through Healthy Housing: An Approach Informed by Participatory Action Research. Moderator: Aaron Plotke (Families USA).
- From Crisis to Equity: Addressing COVID-19’s Impact on Health Disparities and Building Equitable Access to Care During Medicaid Unwinding
Dr. Jess Maksut (CMS Office of Minority Health) presented on Disparities in Hospital Readmissions Among Individuals with Medicare Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities. Charlene Phelps (Trenton Health Team) and Jamila McLean (Benefits Data Trust) presented on Better Together: Working Cross-sector to Prepare for the Medicaid Unwinding. Kelly Kikuchi (Providence) and Haley Maier (Providence) presented on Increasing Equitable Access to Health Care Coverage and Services in Preparation for Medicaid Unwinding. Moderator: Alexa McKinley (National Rural Health Association).
- Harnessing the Power of AI & Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Healthcare Accessibility
Arden Haselmann (Google) presented on How Google’s AI Makes Healthcare More Accessible. Laura Kopp (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) and Brenda Blunt (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) presented on Building the Capacity of Healthcare Organizations and their Workforce to Reduce Health Disparities in Rural and Marginalized Populations: A Multifaceted Approach with Innovative Technologies. Jaclyn Martin (Medical Home Network) and Melanie Tan, (Medical Home Network) presented on Advancing Health Equity Through Building an Embedded Care Management Workforce in FQHCs. Moderator: Kamala Green (National Government Services).
- Health Equity in Diabetes Prevention and Care
Dr. William Mayer (CMS Federal Coordinated Health Care Office) and Dr. LaShawn McIver (CMS Office of Minority Health) presented on CMS Diabetes Strategy Development. Tracy Carver (Comagine Health) and Ana Matiella (Matiella Health Communications) presented on A Culturally Tailored Approach to Support and Train Promotors and Community Health Workers to Engage and Enroll Hispanic and Latino Individuals in the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Kristine Rochotte (Northwestern Medicine) and Alesia O’Daniel (Northwestern Medicine) presented on Advancing Healthy Outcomes through Reduced Disparities in Diabetes Care. Moderator: Dr. William Mayer.
- Improving Health Equity for People with Disabilities through Inclusive and Accessible Health Care
Amber Christ (Justice in Aging) and Teresa Nguyen (Brandeis University) presented on An Equity Framework for Evaluating and Improving Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services. Andy Burstein (Accessible Pharmacy Services) presented on Medication Management for People with Disabilities and Refugees. Dr. Madeleine Shea (Health Management Associates) and Dr. Erica Reaves (Health Management Associates) presented on Priorities for Housing Services and Supports Identified by Georgians With I/DD and Their Caregivers. Moderator: Akin Demehin (American Hospital Association).
- Inclusive Healthcare: Re-imagining Provider Networks, Addressing Disparities, and Empowering the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Workforce by Advancing Equity in Underserved Communities
Art Jones, MD (Wellness West) and Lillian Davis (Wellness West) presented on A West Side Story: Re-imagining the Provider Network and Healthcare Workforce Aimed at Reducing Social Drivers of Health. Lucia Flores (Partners in Health US) and Angie Grover (Metopio) presented on Addressing Disparities and Empowering FQHC Workforce with Data. Kate Paris (UnitedHealthcare Community & State) and Amanda Pears Kelly (Association of Clinicians for the Underserved), presented on Improving Equity in the Workforce by Serving the Underserved. Moderator: Vacheria Keys (National Association of Community Health Centers).
- Inclusive Insights: Illuminating Data, Bridging Disparities, and Advancing LGBTQIA+ Health through Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity (SOGI) Data
Madelene Zale (ChristianaCare) and Alex Waad (ChristianaCare) presented on Enhancing the Collection of SOGI Data to Improve Health Status of LGBTQIA+ Populations. Dr. Jennifer T. May (Duke University) and Dr. Michael Cary, Jr. (Duke University) presented on A Call to Action to Improve the Completeness of Older Adult Sexual and Gender Minority Data in Electronic Health Records. Meghana Chandra (NORC at the University of Chicago) and Mollie Hertel (NORC at the University of Chicago) moderated the session and presented on Kidney Disease Disparities Among Older LGBT+ Adults on the BRFSS Survey: Implications for Health Equity.
- An Introduction to the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index
Jasmine Lusane (HHS Office of Minority Health) and David Rickless (Booz Allen Hamilton) presented on the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index, an extension of the CDC Social Vulnerability Index.
- It Takes a Village: Multifaceted Approaches to Improving Maternal Health Equity & Excellence
Ebony Marcelle (Community of Hope), Dr. Kalpana Ramiah (America’s Essential Hospitals), and Dr. Ellen-Marie Whelan (CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services) shared key strategies for improving clinical maternal care, strengthening the maternal health workforce, partnering with community experts, and advocating for policies that reduce mental health inequities. Moderator: Sinsi Hernández-Cancio (National Partnership for Women & Families).
- Measure What Matters: Examining Variation in Health Equity Tracking and Measurement Practices Across Healthcare Systems in the U.S.
Kristen Azar (Sutter Health); Whitney Haggerson (Providence); Karyl Kopaskie, PhD (Vizient); Shonalie Roberts (Main Line Health); and James S. Williams, Jr. (University of Chicago Medicine, Urban Health Initiative) presented on Measure What Matters: Examining Variation in Health Equity Tracking and Measurement Practices Across Healthcare Systems in the U.S. Moderator: Alexandra Bryden (CMS Office of Minority Health).
- The Medicare Value-Based Care Strategy: Alignment, Growth, And Equity
Dr. Lee Fleisher (CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality), Dr. Liz Fowler (CMS Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation), and Dr. Meena Seshamani (CMS Center for Medicare) presented on The Medicare Value-Based Care Strategy: Alignment, Growth, and Equity. Moderator: Dr. Lee Fleisher.
- Oral Health Disparities Through the Lifespan: Challenges and Opportunities
Dr. Natalia Chalmers (CMS Office of the Administrator) presented on Oral Health Services Utilization Before Birth in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Dr. Alex Sheen (CMS Office of the Administrator) presented on The Impact of the COVID-10 Pandemic on Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Dental Rehabilitation Under General Anesthesia. Dr. Carla Shoff (CMS Office of the Administrator) presented on Rural-Urban Difference in Dental Opioid Prescribing Among Adolescent/Young Adult and Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries. Moderator: Dr. Shondelle Wilson-Frederick (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).
- An Overview of CMS-Developed Indices Measuring Health and Health Care Equity/Disparity Performance
Dr. Sarah Gaillot (CMS Center for Medicare), Dr. Jess Maksut (CMS Office of Minority Health), and Dr. Vinitha Meyyur (CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality) presented on An Overview of CMS-Developed Indices Measuring Health and Health Care Equity/Disparity Performance. Moderator: Dr. Jess Maksut.
- The Power of Data: Revolutionizing Health Care Outcomes through Collection and Exchange
Dr. Albert Taylor, II (HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) presented on United States Core Data for Interoperability: Advancing Interoperable Use and Alignment of Health Equity Data. Lauren Riplinger (American Health Information Management Association) presented on Social Determinants of Health Data: Survey Results on the Collection, Integration, and Use. LCDR Réna McClain, PharmD (CMS Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics) and Samantha Richardson (CMS Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics) presented on Health Equity Insights from OBRHI Stakeholder Engagement Initiatives. Moderator: Akin Demehin (American Hospital Association).
- Promoting Health Literacy and Advancing Language Access within Marketplace
Leigha Basini (CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight) presented on Furthering Health Equity Through Standardized Plans and Essential Health Benefits. Christine Monahan (Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy) and LeAnn Blanco (Washington Health Benefits Exchange) presented on Advancing Language Access Through Health Insurance Marketplaces. Moderator: Alexa McKinley (National Rural Health Association).
- Promoting Health Literacy through Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)
Kay Miller Temple, MD (University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Center for Rural Health) and Dr. David Schmitz, MD (University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences) presented on University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences: Targeted Rural Health Education Project. Leandra Olson (HHS Office of Minority Health) and Darci Graves (CMS Office of Minority Health) presented on The National CLAS Standards: A Framework for Advancing Language Access, Health Literacy and the Provision of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services. Dr. Hirah Mir (NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities) and Regina Rodriguez Sisneros (National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services) presented on Community Partnerships and Data Advocacy for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Developmental Disabilities. Moderator: Darci Graves.
- Race and Ethnicity Data Imputation in Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP
Dr. Nancy Chiles Shaffer (CMS Office of Minority Health) presented on Medicare Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding. Meagan Khau (CMS Office of Minority Health) and Kimberly Proctor, PhD (CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services) presented on Race and Ethnicity Data Imputation in Medicaid and CHIP.
- State and Federal Collaboration to Address Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) for Medicaid Enrollees
Dr. Richard Cho (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), Jacey Cooper (California Department of Health Care Services), Shavana Howard (U.S. Department of Agriculture), and Dr. Gary Sing (MassHealth) presented on State and Federal Collaboration to Address HRSN for Medicaid Enrollees. Moderator: Dr. Aditi Mallick (CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services).
- Transforming Tribal Health: Addressing American Indians and Alaska Natives Health Disparities and CMS's Approach to Health Equity for Tribal Communities
Leslie Short (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System) presented on Using Innovative Care Coordination/Care Management Strategies to Address Health Disparities Among American Indians/Alaska Natives. Carrie Field (National Indian Health Board) presented on Health Equity in Indian Country: Rethinking How CMS Approaches Health Equity for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Moderator: Dr. Susan Karol (CMS Division of Tribal Affairs).
Posters
The conference showcased 32 posters highlighting health equity research. Download the posters below.
