LOWER MERION — The American Hospital Association (AHA) has selected Main Line Health as recipient of its 2024 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, Transforming Winner for creating and implementing strategies promoting equity in the community.
Main Line Health and two other Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award honorees will receive the award at the AHA’s Leadership Summit in San Diego on July 21–23.
“By recognizing us the year after they honored the health system with the AHA Quest for Quality Prize shows our long track record of progress in diversity, equity and inclusion is groundbreaking,” said Rosangely Cruz-Rojas, DrPH, Vice President and Chief Diversity and Equity Officer, Main Line Health. “Healthcare is human care at Main Line Health, and I congratulate all our employees for their contribution toward this recognition. There is always more to do, of course, and we pledge to continue on this path.”
The AHA listed numerous initiatives by Main Line Health in its June 5 award announcement:
To ensure personalized care experiences from the beginning, Main Line Health conducts thorough interviews to determine patients’ preferred titles/names, languages spoken and other demographic data while also discussing visiting hours, dietary requirements and access to patient advocates.
Continuous improvement in the patient care experience, a top priority for Main Line Health, is accomplished through employee training programs and accountability measures, ensuring that patient experience goals flow through all levels of the organization.
Initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion training for all employees and leaders and implementing employee resource groups, lunch and learns, and listening circles contribute to a culture focused on delivering equitable care and fostering a diverse workforce reflective of the communities served.
Main Line Health’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is embodied in workforce representation and community collaborations, evident with diversity and representation on the Board of Governors, in leadership roles, among physicians, and in creating more internal pathways for entry-level employees. Main Line Health stratifies more than 100 quality and safety metrics by race, ethnicity, language, gender, age, zip code and other characteristics and has embedded healthcare equity metrics and initiatives in its clinical environment and service lines while creating accountability for senior leaders and the board.
In addition, Main Line Health partners with the Together for West Philadelphia coalition to foster collaboration among healthcare institutions and community organizations. Main Line Health addresses societal factors that impact health through programs like stroke education targeting vulnerable communities and expanding the community health worker workforce to close gaps for discharged patients with social needs.
“Unfortunately, disparity of care in healthcare is something too many in this country experience,” said Jack Lynch, FACHE, President, and CEO, Main Line Health. “At Main Line Health, along with our colleagues at the American Hospital Association, we are committed to identifying these disparities and doing everything we can to eliminate them. I am extremely proud of the progress we have made, but as Dr. Cruz-Rojas said, there is more to do!”
