Equity Assessment FAQ's

What does health equity even mean?

We achieve health equity when institutions support every person in achieving their individual full health potential, so that no person experiences negative health outcomes as a result of identity, environment or experiences.

What is the goal of this survey?

For your individual organization, this survey will serve as a baseline and conversatin starter for where your organization is standing in relation to an equity journey. The results will help highlight opportunities for your organization to take action.

Addtionally, BHT will analyze the results to inform the Technical Assistance and Training curriculum for BHT partners in 2020, which will focus heavily on Equity.

Finally, results will inform reccomendations for a menu of Pay-for-Equity activities that BHT partners will have the option of commiting to in 2020, making them eligible for more financial and TA support.

Who is eligible to complete this survey?

If you are a January or August Cohort partner, the assessment is a requirement of your contract. Please refer to Addendum 4.01 in your contract for specifics. If your organization is a Collaborative member with a signed MOU for 2019, the BHT Board has approved a payment of $15,000 to your organization for completing the assessment and establishing an internal improvement goal based on your results.

Organizations should have as many staff, at all levels, complete the survey as possible.

My organization is not a health care organization – should I still take this survey?

YES. What we know about Social Determinants of Health tells us that organziations supporting people in housing, food, transportation, jobs, community support, education and so much more play a role in determining people’s health. Even if you are not explicitly health focused, we believe social service organizations will benefit from taking this survey to think about how the work they do supports health equity.

How many people need to take the survey?

Organizations should have as many staff, at all levels, complete the survey as possible.

BHT is not enforcing a minimum survey response rate for payment. We will report on % of staff completed. If response rate is so low it risks exposing anonymity we will not be able to share results.

Please work to ensure at least 50% of staff take this survey so the results can be most useful to you

My organization is very large – how much participation do we need?

Organizations should have as many staff complete this as possible, we understand for large organizations this may not be feasible. For the best results have staff from all levels complete the survey as possible.

If all is simply too much to manage, please focus on maximizing participation from whatever departments, sites, or clinics are participating in BHT’s transformation related work.

Please work to ensure at least 50% of staff take this survey so the results can be most useful to you.

What can I do to increase participation from my organization?

· Send regular email reminders to staff with survey link.

· Hold 20 minutes at a staff meeting for all staff to take out their smart phones or laptops and complete the survey.

· Offer a raffle or incentive for complete surveys. Even a raffle for a $5 coffee gift card can really motivate people.

· Ask staff to print and turn in the completion page of the survey to track who has participated, or serve as raffle entries.

How can I find out how many of my staff have taken the survey?

Staff can print out the completion page at the end of the survey. You can also contact Hadley Morrow at Hadley@betterhealthtogether.org for a number of completed assessments by members of your

When can we expect results?

The assessment is due by October 18th, after which BHT will analyze assessment responses and return a scorecard to each organization with answers aggregated and a comprehensive set of equity-related resources and opportunities by late November.