Advancing health equity through organizational change: Perspectives from health care leaders

Published literature on health care administration, management, and leadership and its impacts on health systems' programs to address health care inequities is limited, as is information about how organizations integrate health equity in their cultures, missions, and strategic plans.

The aims of this study were to identify the key components necessary for health systems to implement systematic organizational change to promote health equity and to describe approaches organizations have implemented.

We conducted an environmental scan to identify central principles for implementing lasting change in health systems and experts working to advance health equity through organizational change. We interviewed 19 experts in health equity and hospital executives in 2020. Using iterative thematic analysis, we identified common themes.

Consistent with the literature on organizational change, interviewees described a variety of systematic approaches to change, all of which involve the following core components: (a) committed and engaged leadership; (b) integrated organizational structure; (c) commitment to quality improvement and patient safety; (d) ongoing training and education; (e) effective data collection and analytics; and (f) stakeholder communication, engagement, and collaboration.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to advancing health equity. Decisions about which components require the most attention vary depending on an organization's internal and external environment. Understanding those environments and identifying which levers will be most effective are essential. As provider organizations strive to develop more strategic and systematic approaches to addressing disparities, long-term vision and commitment are necessary to achieve sustainable organizational change.