Sometimes it takes someone out of the fray to see what is really going on and try to make a change for the better. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has taken the challenge to heart, and created Raising the Bar, which is a framework to help healthcare organizations create more equity in care delivery for all patients.
So what exactly is the role of Raising the Bar? The organization has a strong mission to improve the relationships with and experiences of all stakeholders in the healthcare establishment. This framework helps patients who want to be treated with dignity and respect, it helps hospitals who want to focus on whole-person care, and it assists payers who want incentives to help address social drivers of health, as well as community organizations who want trustworthy partnerships.
”This multi-pronged approach is exactly what the country needs in order to grapple with the question of equity in health care. According to Adnan Zai, Advisor to Berkeley Capital, “Trying to reach health equity is an experiment called socialized medicine and if you ask anyone in Canada or Europe, they will tell you that it has failed. There has to be a more mindful and systematic approach that not only involves the government, but also healthcare systems, philanthropy, and the private sector, in order to reach it.”
When foundations and philanthropists take a step in the direction of equity, that is good for all concerned. But it will certainly take a concerted effort from government officials, stakeholders in healthcare settings, and others who are involved in healthcare in order to improve the current situation. But with philanthropists like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation literally “raising the bar,” we can experience a more equitable solution.
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