Baylor Health Care System Chief Health Equity Officer Selected for National Leadership Program to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
Contact: Aswita Tan-McGrory, 617-643-2916 or Wendy Walker, 214-820-4581Email: wendyw@baylorhealth.edu
(BOSTON, Texas, May 8, 2007)- James Walton, D.O., chief health equity officer of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System, has been selected to participate in a year-long executive leadership program designed to tackle racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Dr. Walton is one of only 28 individuals from 14 health care organizations from around the United States to be selected for the Disparities Leadership Program.
"We are so proud of Jim's acceptance to this prestigious program and his tireless efforts to improve health care equity throughout Texas and in our local community," said Joel Allison, president and CEO, Baylor Health Care System. "Jim has devoted his career to identifying new opportunities to increase equity in health care access and outcomes. He has a long history of launching successful, innovative programs that truly make a difference in the Dallas community."
The Disparities Leadership Program is the first program of its kind in the nation, and is designed for leaders from hospitals, health insurance plans, and other health care organizations who are seeking to develop practical strategies to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care. The program is led by the Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Mass.
The goal of the Disparities Leadership Program is to create a cadre of health care leaders who have:
- an in-depth knowledge of the causes and research surrounding health care disparities;
- cutting-edge, quality improvement strategies and skills to address disparities;
- the leadership skills to implement solutions and help to transform their organizations.
"This program is about developing new leaders and taking action. It is about helping individuals and their health care organizations understand the critical connection between improving quality and eliminating disparities in care through a concerted, coordinated effort to change our health care system," said Joseph R. Betancourt, M.D., M.P.H., Director of the Disparities Solutions Center at MGH, and a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee, which produced the 2002 landmark report (Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care) which revealed striking disparities in the quality of health care services delivered to minority and white patients -- even for patients of the same socioeconomic background and access to care."
"These health care organizations are clearly distinguishing themselves as national leaders by taking action to identify and address disparities," Dr. Betancourt said.
Created in July 2005 as the nation's first, hospital-based disparities center, The Disparities Solutions Center at MGH has significant experience in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in care. The Center has pioneered efforts at MGH to routinely collect and monitor patient outcome data by race and ethnicity as part of its quality measurement, and to identify and address disparities in care through culturally appropriate interventions. The Center has worked closely with Boston Mayor Thomas M.
Menino's city-wide Disparities Project, as well as several leading health plans including Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The Disparities Leadership Program is jointly sponsored by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and co-sponsored by Joint Commission Resources (JCR), an affiliate of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The program is supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.