Health Equity

What is Health Equity? 

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Health equity is achieved when all people can attain their highest level of health and wellbeing. Health equity is “assurance of the conditions for optimal health for all people. Achieving health equity requires valuing all individuals and populations equally, recognizing and rectifying historical injustice, and providing resources according to need.” – Camara Jones, MD, MPH, PhD 

Our Commitment to Health Equity 

The MMA is committed to advancing health equity and confronting systemic racism. In pursuit of our mission to make Minnesota the healthiest state and best place to practice, this commitment is strategically embedded in our organization, with “improved health equity” as a key outcome in our strategic map. Our work to improve health equity is based off three primary areas of focus. They include:

1. Diversifying the physician workforce;
2. Addressing social drivers of health and;
3. Changing the culture of medicine. 

Diversifying the Minnesota Physician Workforce 

Strategic Priorities: 

• Increasing the exposure of Minnesota youth from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to careers in medicine. 

• Reducing the non-tuition financial, and other, barriers associated with medical school and residency for students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. 

Current Initiatives: 

• Early education mentorship and science exposure opportunities
• ​​​​​​​MMA Mentorship Program   
• Identifying and eliminating racism and structural and institutional attributes in physician training (task force recommendations currently being implemented) ​​​​​​​
• Changing the Face of Medicine (MMA Foundation Fund): The MMA Foundation established a dedicated fund to support initiatives that tear down the barriers that stand in the way of too many whose dream is to become a physician, including by offering grants that cover MCAT fees for students from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in medicine.

Addressing Social Drivers of Health

Strategic Priorities: 

• Advocate for policies and/or resources to reduce health inequities for justice-involved people in Minnesota. 

• Advocate for policies and/or resources to improve access to care for people experiencing homelessness. 

Current Initiatives: 

•  In partnership with the Governor’s Office of Addiction and Recovery and the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, the MMA is part of a workgroup focused on identifying barriers and solutions to providing medications to help Minnesotans experiencing opioid use disorder who are incarcerated. 

• The MMA continues to support the adoption of a street medicine initiative at the University of Minnesota Medical School. ​​​​​​​

Changing the Culture of Medicine

Strategic Priorities: 

• Increase physician/medical group and other key stakeholder awareness and utilization of current MMA health equity resources. 

• Develop new resources and opportunities for physician dialogue focused on the application of practice-based strategies to reduce implicit bias and structural racism in medicine. 

• Support the professional development of MMA staff and leadership in health equity and intercultural competency. 

Current Initiatives: 

Inclusive Communications Guide

Language has power, and words can either promote a culture of respect and inclusion or perpetuate harm. The MMA developed the Inclusive Communications Guide for Language that Promotes Equity to enable more inclusive communication by providing suggested language, guidance, and explanatory context. This document provides definitions for commonly used words in health equity discourse, identifies harmful words and offers equity-centered alternatives, clarifies subtle differences between seemingly synonymous terms, and explains how certain words perpetuate racist narratives while others promote racial justice. It aims to raise awareness and encourage users to think critically about the words they use, the meaning conveyed, and the potential impact. 

Racism in Medicine: Truths from Minnesota Physicians

This initiative arose from the call to address the harmful effects of racism, microaggressions, and implicit bias on physicians from marginalized groups and communities. Research suggests that these types of discrimination are associated with negative implications for physicians relating to career advancement and satisfaction, physical and mental health, well-being, and burnout. 

Through a series of video interviews, the MMA curated personal stories from physicians from marginalized groups with the goal of centering their perspectives, building appreciation for their experiences, and fostering understanding of the issues facing Minnesota medicine. 

A 90-minute workshop is available to bring this content to your organization.

Click here to view the video series and for workshop booking information.

The Minnesota Health Equity Community of Practice (CoP):

The CoP is a peer network dedicated to advancing health equity and addressing the significant racial and ethnic health disparities that persist throughout our state. The CoP brings together health equity leaders and professionals from around Minnesota to exchange expertise, resources, and ideas. It provides an opportunity for cross-organizational communication, collaboration, and collective action in support of health equity. For more information about joining, please contact Haley Brickner, health equity coordinator.  
 

Implicit Bias Training:

Research suggests that implicit biases contribute to health disparities by affecting patient relationships and care decisions. To address implicit bias in support of health equity, we have developed resources for physicians and other healthcare providers. These resources allow participants to examine implicit bias in healthcare settings, understand how it contributes to health disparities, and learn practical strategies for mitigating the effects. Visit our Implicit Bias Education page for live learning events, or to book an implicit bias workshop for your organization.  

Conversations on Race & Equity (CORE)

CORE is a series of safe and respectful virtual space for physicians to discuss anti-racism, implicit bias, cultural humility, and other topics related to health equity. Each session is a 1-hour facilitated dialogue based on curated content, providing a forum for critical reflection on these issues. Participants will be equipped with the tools to continue these conversations and work toward making Minnesota health care an inclusive environment for all. For more information and to register, please visit our Conversations on Race & Equity page.  
 

Historical Inquiry for Reconciliation

The MMA recently completed a historical inquiry to identify, understand, and address past injustices perpetrated by our organization. This was a component of our efforts to dismantle structural racism, by acknowledging wrongs that have been done. This work helped to promote acknowledgement of problematic moments and trends in the history of the MMA, but in addition to looking back, it also helped to inform our commitment to creating change going forward. We released a special Health Equity issue, which includes the full report on the findings of the inquiry.