Bringing the HEET: Blazing the Trail to Organizational Equity
We as global citizens have awoken to see that health is at a crucial crossroads and that change in healthcare is imminent. The pandemic created an optic lens that magnifies existing holes and cracks in the US healthcare system, into which Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) slip through to this very day.
The Birth of the Health Equity Emissary Team
Diverse Health Hub identifies that systemic racism and health disparities are inextricably linked. Knowing this, it is our intention to break down this pre-existing foundation and strategically tackle each layer. Thus the Health Equity Emissary Team was born.
The HEET addresses large scale health inequities in collaboration with its health advocacy organizations and partners. The HEET serves as a health advocacy think tank and consultancy service. For every collaboration, the HEET works closely with key stakeholders to ensure that leadership, recruitment, integration and accountability practices embrace the core values of Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I). In doing so, we move the needle toward better health outcomes for everyone.
HEET’s strength and efficacy lies not only in this mission, but in their solidarity as a diverse team to foster a greater impact of collective change. The HEET members’ variety of life and professional experiences inform their unique position as a health equity emissary. We believe that through combining our differences, we have the power to change the world and create equitable health outcomes for everyone, right now.
What’s in the HEET?
The words we call something or someone is not merely a reference but a name that holds weight in its symbolism. Let’s break down the Health Equity Emissary Team into four important tenets that make up its meaning and the purpose behind each step of action.
HEET’s Tenets
The first tenet is Health. The HEET recognizes that health is at the center of well-being. Health is a balance of the whole body system which encompasses our physical, mental, and spiritual states. To achieve true balance in health, it must be holistic and embody diversity to nourish the whole person. Since health dictates our livelihoods it is of utmost importance to examine its determinants, how it’s obtained and importantly how it’s sustained. The HEET affirms that positive health outcomes are the core of its intention.
The second tenet is Equity. The HEET recognizes that not everyone is getting the same out of health care. The HEET tackles health disparities, especially in underserved communities that afflict Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. BIPOC populations suffer greatly from disparities in healthcare and as a result receive unequal treatment in care and access to resources. The HEET equalizes outcomes and bridges the gap to equitable care.
The third tenet is Emissary. An emissary is both an agent and a representative. The HEET is a watchdog for those in need of support, they give agency to vulnerable populations, and represent communities that are underrepresented. From the HEET’s multiplicity of backgrounds, they have unique insight to find diverse solutions. The HEET collaborates directly with health organizations to make sure they adhere to diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
The fourth tenet is Team. The HEET knows that it takes a team to tackle the complexities of undoing systemic racism built within foundations and that it takes time to diversify each layer within. It is only through teamwork this task is executed effectively. The HEET works collaboratively with health organizations by combining values, ideas and skill sets to achieve greater solutions, impact and reach.
Effective Outcomes for Health Organizations
Perpetual health disparities harm existing and future BIPOC generations, and consequently impacts the health of everyone. When one segment of the population suffers, so does the collective.
The HEET in Action
The key to changing a system is changing it from within. With this knowledge, the HEET was conceived to address and implement equity, diversity and inclusivity. The HEET health supports its partners’ foundational values by strategically diversifying their perspectives, motives, and actions.
In action, the HEET serves as consultant and thinking partners with its collaborators. We also assist in the production and promotion of patient and healthcare professional education materials.
Meet the HEET
Who are the diverse people who make up the HEET? As the hearts and minds behind the intention and action, we asked how their life’s path led them here and what unique change they want to affect as a Health Equity Emissary.
