equity – Here for Life

Hennepin team member uses connection to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to purchase wild rice for food insecure patients

March 24, 2023

For the past four years, Hennepin Healthcare has purchased and distributed shelf-stable, nutritionally balanced bags of food from Every Meal for patients facing food insecurity. However, Senior Community Health Worker Paula Brown noticed a gap.

Currently, there are five varieties of bag that cater to different cultural preferences. For example, orange bags are tailored to Latino dietary preferences and have foods such as black/pinto beans, corn flour, rice, enchilada sauce, and chipotles in adobo. Blue bags on the other hand are pork-free and tailored to African dietary preferences. (more…)

How a supply chain initiative helped Kamesha Davenport grow her small business in life-changing ways

March 22, 2023

When Kamesha Davenport got a call from the Supply Chain team at Hennepin Healthcare, she was excited—and surprised. Kamesha’s landscaping business, Pinky Fence, was a small business with just Kamesha as the main employee, marketing her services by word of mouth through her personal Facebook. Kamesha still worked a full-time job at Wells Fargo. She didn’t have a website or an accountant.

The call from Hennepin Healthcare was the biggest opportunity so far to make her entrepreneurship dream a reality. She had memories of her grandmother’s last moments at Hennepin Healthcare, and she’d lived across from the downtown campus as a teen. “I just remember being a little kid running through the hallways,” she said. “The campus has a special place in my heart because of that.” She was overwhelmed—but determined to make it work. (more…)

Read Hennepin Healthcare’s 2022 Health Equity Report

February 21, 2023

Hennepin Healthcare is embarking on a journey to become what does not yet exist. We must envision a new path to serve our communities in the way they deserve and reach outcomes that are not predicted by race.

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Introducing the Digital Equity Experts (DEX) Program at Hennepin Healthcare

December 7, 20221

Healthcare delivery and consumption have become highly dependent on digital tools. So much so that digital literacy and access could be viewed as super social determinants of health and well-being because they truly impact many social drivers in a patient’s life. Hennepin Healthcare is on the path to making better access to care by creating more digital equity. Introducing the Digital Equity Experts (DEX) program!

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Digital equity in healthcare

November 3, 2022

With healthcare services and health information increasingly moving online, access to this type of care requires digital literacy skills. We know that some of the populations we serve at Hennepin Healthcare have challenges when it comes to digital literacy and access.

16% of American adults have gaps in their digital literary skills therefore limitations on their device (laptop, tablet, mobile) use.
47% of adults aged 50 – 80 have concerns about using technology for healthcare/telehealth.
38% of older Americans can’t access telehealth visits, mainly due to technology experience.
More than 12% of US households do not have internet service due to limited access (some rural with no access), affordability, or no interest.
Utilization of virtual care is highly correlated with income level.
Non-white and non-English speaking patients use virtual care far less than their white counterparts and site digital literacy and access as the primary barriers.
Households earning less than $30k per year have a computer, compared to 94% of households making over $100k
18 million households in America do not have internet access
Digital redlining is a real threat to certain urban communities

So how do we close this gap? (more…)

Hennepin Healthcare is one of the first healthcare organizations to meet or exceed rigorous requirements for national health equity accreditation

October 18, 2022

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently announced that Hennepin Healthcare earned its Health Equity Accreditation Plus accreditation, which recognizes organizations that lead the market in providing culturally and linguistically sensitive services, and work to reduce health care disparities. NCQA awards Accreditation to organizations that meet or exceed its rigorous requirements for health equity. Hennepin Healthcare was one of two healthcare organizations in the country to receive this recognition – the first time NCQA has accredited healthcare systems.

Dr. Nneka Sederstrom, Hennepin Healthcare’s Chief Health Equity Officer, has been leading the way in the organization’s efforts to align their practices into policies. (more…)

What it’s like to be Black and a doctor in white America

February 25, 2022

Dr. Iesha Galloway-Gilliam, an Internal Medicine provider at Hennepin Healthcare shares her experience and challenges being Black and a doctor in this interview: (more…)

Voices of Hennepin Healthcare: Toya López

February 16, 2022

Toya López, a patient and former team member at Hennepin Healthcare, strongly believes in a sustainable healthcare design that cares for patients and environmental health.

“At Hennepin Healthcare, we are amongst leaders,” praises Toya López, a patient and former team member (employee) of Hennepin Healthcare, as well as a board member for Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate. “The people who work here care about the purpose. Part of the purpose is to make a healthier environment.”

López’s career integrates their passions for health equity and environmental sustainability. “I’m grateful for the care I receive here as a patient. I know what it’s like to be a patient and an employee. This is very much a purpose-driven place,” explains López. (more…)