Equity Systems Continuum Planning Grant
NICHQ recognizes that tackling racism and other forms of oppression must go beyond interventions at an individual level. Truly equitable health systems advance equity of historically marginalized groups. Health systems must purposefully reconstruct their systems to be rooted in equity.
Identifying systemic racism
NICHQ has developed an evidence-informed conceptual framework known as the Equity Systems Continuum to describe and define the systems that individuals and organizations currently operate within: Supremist-Designed Systems, Savior-Designed Systems, Ally-Designed Systems, and Equity-Empowered Systems. By giving each system a name and definition, an organization can identify where they are along this continuum, consider where their current approaches have succeeded and failed, and determine what actions need to be taken to improve along the continuum. At the end of this initiative, organizations will be able to identify where they are on the continuum by utilizing an Equity Systems Auditing Tool (ESAT), ultimately allowing them to identify ways to improve their organization.
Who
NICHQ is building on work by Dr. Stacy Scott, PhD, MPA, Executive Project Director and Equity Lead at NICHQ, and the Global Infant Safe Sleep (GISS) Center, which developed an evidence-informed conceptual framework known as the Equity Systems Continuum to describe and define the systems wherein individuals and organizations currently operate. In addition to community partners, NICHQ will further collaborate with various maternal and child health content experts and stakeholders.
Our Role
NICHQ’s role in this project will be multi-faceted. Along with producing a final Equity Systems Continuum Framework to guide systemic change in maternal and child health, NICHQ will develop an Equity Systems Auditing Tool (ESAT) for organizations to audit longstanding policies and practices that contribute to systemic racism and other forms of oppression. An implementation plan will support organizations and health systems to determine where on the Continuum an organization sits and what strategies can be implemented to move within the continuum. NICHQ will be able to show our own internal progress along the Equity Systems Continuum based on periodic internal assessments.
Funder
The project is funded through a planning grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Other Information
[move to resources – news items] NICHQ to Develop Evidence-Informed Framework to Improve Equity in Health Systems NICHQ’s Next Steps: Update on the Equity Systems Continuum Initiative NICHQ Creates Department of Health Equity Innovation to Address Systemic Health Inequities
Project Impact
External Resources
State Perinatal Quality Collaboratives
List of PQCs funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The Power of PQCs
Video showing the impact that PQCs have on the communities they serve. Produced by the NNPQC.
PQCs in the News
Articles in news outlets covering state PQCs, their activities, and the people that work in the collaboratives.
Patient Safety Bundles
From the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health. PSBs are collections of evidence-informed best practices that address clinically specific conditions in pregnant and postpartum people. The NNPQC helps provide TA and support to PQCs in adopting the core AIM Perinatal Mental Health Bundle.
Perinatal Quality Collaboratives
The CDC’s landing page for PQCs, including helpful infographics, videos, and links to help explain what PQCs are, how they work, and stories, learnings, and publications that have come out of the state PQCs.
Related Content
Resources produced by the Equity Systems Continuum Planning Grant or on related topics
Meet Our Team
“In our deep organizational work to move along the Equity Systems Continuum from a Savior-Designed System to an Equity-Empowered System, we acknowledge the power of action. The potential is limitless for today’s commitments to improve the systems in which health care and public health professionals work and families receive care.”
