CLER Tip of the Week: Addressing health care disparities

One of the priority areas for the ACGME and Michigan Medicine is health care disparities.

Addressing health care disparities is not just saying “we care for low income patients in our health center” or “I use an interpreter line when English is not the first language of my patient.”

Make no mistake, these are important examples of what is done at Michigan Medicine and they should be highlighted, but it is much more than that.

In fact, Michigan Medicine is currently participating in the ACGME Pursuing Excellence Healthcare Disparities Collaborative. It is one of nine institutions selected to participate in this program.

Additionally, the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion develops important mechanisms for inclusion, diversity and cultural sensitivity among faculty, house officers, students and staff at Michigan Medicine. In August 2019, the office launched “First Look Weekend,” a two-day symposium aimed at developing leadership skills in fourth-year medical students interested in health equity, diversity and inclusion. The theme of the weekend was “Becoming a Change Agent in Health Equity.”

The weekend also served as a launch in developing a pilot curriculum for house officers to eliminate health care disparities. The program was well-received and plans are in the works for an additional August 2020 program.

Each week, Headlines will share an important tip in preparation for the ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER).