What is the Health Disparities Collaborative?

This innovative initiative is part of the Bureau of Primary Health Care's (BPHC) goal to eliminate health disparities in our nation by dramatically improving the health status of underserved populations. A collaborative model is used to eliminate the gap between what is known to be effective health care and what is actually done in clinical practice through the utilization of a proven evidence-based and population-based care model, improvement model and shared learning model. The Health Disparities Collaborative focuses on improving chronic care including asthma, cancer, cardiovascular, depression and diabetes. When participating in a Collaborative, a Health Center will choose one disease tract in which to focus (keeping in mind that the learning can be applied to all chronic diseases and quality improvement efforts).

What is involved in the Collaborative process?

Health Centers go through an application process demonstrating their readiness for change and participation. The Collaborative involves at least 150 organizations nationally working together intensely for 15 months. During that time, organizations participate in four three-day Learning Sessions and maintain continual contact with each other, the Collaborative Leadership Team and faculty members through e-mail, Web site, conference calls and site visits during action periods between Learning Sessions. Health Centers are expected to make the Collaborative goals a strategic initiative in their organization, have active senior leader involvement, identify a project team, provide time and resources to accomplish change, and share and report progress. After the initial 15-month process, Health Centers move into a second phase of the project for spreading and sustaining improvements.

Why is it important to my Health Center?

The improvements in the cost of quality will dramatically outweigh the costs of participating in the Collaborative. Not only are improvements made in clinical outcomes, no-show rates and staff turnover, but these efforts can also be utilized as a tool for leveraging resources locally, regionally and nationally. Case scenarios have shown return on investments up to $2 million. Participation also allows for benchmarking of monthly key indicators among participants nationally. Tools are available to assess current performance in chronic care and to demonstrate the cost of implementing such programs.

Visit the Health Disparities Collaborative website.

Additional Information
Participant and Partner List
Business Case
MidWest Clinicians' Network
Health Disparities Collaboratives
Improving Chronic Illness Care
Midwest Health Disparities Collaborative Fact Sheet