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TriHealth Center for Health Equity
TriHealth’s Commitment to the Health of the Entire Community
At TriHealth we have a bold vision to lead the region in getting health care right. Our goal is to be the place where people want to work, physicians want to practice and where the entire community wants to go for the best in health care.
Here, getting health care right means achieving the Triple Aim + 1: better care, better health and better value in an inclusive and exceptional practice and work environment for everyone.
Our service identity is rooted in our mission and core values, which serve as guiding principles in our healing ministry dating back to our founding.
Despite our best efforts to provide excellent, equitable care, the data shows there are disparities in our community’s health outcomes that often play out amongst racial and socioeconomic lines.
With the backing of bi3 Fund, we are tackling these health disparities head on, and by following the data to improve the health outcomes of specific populations, we will inevitably elevate the health of all peoples and communities.
Through surprisingly human care — seeing and hearing individuals and healing their human spirit — we are giving patients confidence that our support will lead to better health and a higher quality of life.
“Everyone has the right to live their healthiest lives, regardless of where they live, work or other social determinants of health. Unfortunately, here in our own backyard of Hamilton County, we have an unacceptable life expectancy difference of 26 years from communities only four miles apart. At TriHealth, we recognize barriers like this within our communities, and we’re committed to tackling them. By embracing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, we can foster an enriching environment for our physicians and team members, and better understand the specific and unique needs of each individual we serve.”
- Mark C. Clement, President and CEO
- Thomas Shockley, Jr., MD, Chief Health Equity Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer
Defining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB) and Health Equity
Having a common language creates the foundation for setting strategy, driving improvement and making long-standing impact. Here’s how we at TriHealth define these terms.
- Diversity: The presence of differences. These differences include but are not limited to ethnicity, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, culture, cognitive ability, physical ability, life experiences and family situations
- Equity: The process of addressing disparities, promoting impartiality and giving individuals what they need to succeed
- Inclusion: Being invited to be a part of something, ensuring those who are “different” feel welcomed and valued
- Belonging: The intersection of diversity, equity and inclusion, where individuals feel like a member of an organization or a team and that they can thrive within
- Social Determinants of Health: The conditions in the community where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes and risks
- Health Equity: Having a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible regardless of race, ethnicity, age, ability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status and geographical location
- Health Disparity: Avoidable differences in health outcomes and their causes among groups of people
Mission and Business Case Statement for Diversity and Inclusion
By developing a diverse workforce, we will increase our talent pool, reinforce our mission and strengthen TriHealth in ways that will maximize our performance and competitive advantage to the patients and communities we serve.
TriHealth Center for Health Equity
As part of our vision for health equity and belonging we have established a new TriHealth Center for Health Equity and outlined three dimensions to advance this work: Team and Culture, Patient Experience and Community Health Status.
TriHealth has made significant strides in recent years to become a more inclusive workplace for all team members and a more equitable care environment for our patients and the community.
Recent examples include our:
School to Work Program – a unique workforce development and DEIB initiative in partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), launched in 2019. 38 students have graduated from the School to Work Program and 36 CPS juniors and seniors are currently enrolled in the program. Click here for more information.
B.O.L.D. (Building Our Leadership Diversity) Program – launched in 2022 as an investment in our people to foster an even more diverse TriHealth leadership team that better reflects the community we serve.
Addressing Food Insecurity: Food deserts and the general lack of access to nutritious food have a significant impact on the health of a community. Therefore, with the support of the Freestore Foodbank, we maintain six food pantries that patients with a medical need can access with a prescription or order from their TriHealth provider. The six locations include Bethesda North Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, the Bethesda Family Practice Center and the Good Samaritan Free Health Center.
Overcoming Transportation Barriers: We also have identified transportation as the leading barrier to care for patients from underserved communities. To address this medical need, Uber Health and Ride United (a United Way program) now work with us to coordinate rides to and from appointments at TriHealth Cancer and Blood Institute so patients who qualify for these services can obtain medically necessary services.
As the third largest employer and one of the most trusted providers in the Greater Cincinnati community, TriHealth strives to be a place where all team members feel safe, accepted and have an equal opportunity to succeed, where every patient has equal access to optimal health and for our community to be a beacon of hope to others who are struggling with these same issues.