ABSTRACT
According to the Institute of Medicine, the goal of a health care system is to improve health status and to do so in a manner that reduces health disparities among particular subgroups.1 When health care is delivered equitably, access to care and quality of services are based on individuals’ specific needs rather than personal characteristics unrelated to the reason for seeking care. Quality of care should not vary based on characteristics, such as gender, race, age, ethnicity, income, education, disability, sexual orientation, or location of residence.1 BHCS has a longstanding commitment to equitable care dating back to 1903, when the first hospital in the system was founded by George W. Truett, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, envisioned as “a great humanitarian hospital, one to which people of all creeds and those of none may come with equal confidence.”2 This chapter describes some of the specific strategies and initiatives BHCS has implemented in its efforts to drive health care equity across the organization.
