Building Capacity Among Health System Leaders to Dismantle Structural Racism and Advance Health Equity

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19578024
AutoresCrystal W Cené (0000-0001-8512-9441, UC San Diego Health System, autor de correspondencia), Shivon Carreno (UC San Diego Health System), Felicia Ferguson (UC San Diego Health System), Kelly León (0000-0001-7400-3720, UC San Diego Health System)
Año2025
Volumen9
Número1
Fecha de publicación2025-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHealth Equity (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2473-1242 • E-ISSN: 2473-1242
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/24731242251404168
OpenAlexW7117542907
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas27

Background: Racism is increasingly recognized as a fundamental cause of persistent racial health inequities. Addressing it in health care requires a system-level approaches that engage both clinical and operational leaders. Few publications describe how health systems build internal capacity to mitigate structural racism. Methods: University of California San Diego (UCSD) Health designated “dismantling structural racism” as a strategic pillar and drew on Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones’ recommendations to: (1) name racism, (2) understand how it operates, and (3) organize and strategize to act. The Department of Health Equity led initiatives across education, data infrastructure, and leadership engagement. Activities: Key initiatives included knowledge-building sessions for director-level and above leaders (>80% participation), multimedia micro-learning videos, and 25+ team-based discussions of Dr. Jones’ TEDx Talk. A monthly Our History in Color series highlighted contributions of 31+ people of color to medicine and science. UCSD Health also launched a Health Equity Data and Analytics Committee embedding equity filters into dashboards using the REAL GAPSS TM (Race, Ethnicity, Age, Language, Gender, Ability, Payor, Sexual orientation, Social needs and resources) Framework and joined a statewide racial equity learning collaborative. Strengths and Limitations: Challenges included a limited understanding of racism and the need for trained facilitators. These were addressed through education and facilitator training. Sustaining momentum amid political and financial pressures remains difficult, though equity has been embedded in goals, incentive plans, onboarding, and quality metrics. Conclusions: UCSD Health’s experience demonstrates practical strategies for embedding anti-racism into health system operations and can serve as a model to advance health equity

Facilitator · Health care · Health equity · Incentive · Racism · Social determinants of health · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Race, Genetics, and Society · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Health Policy