Our Partner CAPH

Racial Equity

Addressing Structural Racism in More Deliberate and Meaningful Ways

California’s public health care systems have long focused on health equity given their role as large safety net providers in communities of color. However, the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic groups and the racial unrest of 2020 have further exposed the need to address structural racism in more deliberate and meaningful ways.

Racial Equity Community of Practice

SNI partnered with the National Equity Project (NEP), an Oakland-based leadership and systems change organization, to host an 18-month Racial Equity Community of Practice program from January 2022 – June 2023 for a cohort of members who sought to develop leadership capacity to make organizational change, strengthen organizational commitment to anti-racism, and develop strategies to embed equity in all aspects of care.

Based on the success of this first phase, where many systems built shared knowledge and language, developed leadership capacity, and initiated tests of organizational change, SNI is launching a phase two of the Racial Equity Community of Practice in November 2023 The second phase, which will run for two years, will continue to leverage the approach described below and dive more deeply into designing for action with a focus on integrating an equity lens into quality improvement and patient and community engagement. 

Photo Credit: CoP participants from UC San Diego Health

Our Approach

The Community of Practice approach:

  • Facilitates a shared understanding and language, and creates a safe space to openly discuss racism
  • Allows members to share learnings, test new approaches, and problem-solve together
  • Provides structured support and 1:1 consulting from expert consultants
  • Customizes content and resources based on member interest and progress
  • Leverages successful practices to advance racial equity in health systems

The Community of Practice is funded by the California Health Care Foundation.

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