Massachusetts Health Professions Workforce Diversity: Update

Executive Office of Health and Human Services

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 2

Health Professions Diversity: Why It Matters

Research demonstrates that addressing health workforce diversity may help reduce disparities.¹

Addresses objectives of Massachusetts Health Disparities Framework to:Promote Institutional TransformationPromote Provider Transformation Improve Access to and Quality of Healthcare

and Health Outcomes

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 3

Health Professions Diversity: Why It Matters

HDC & Office of Health Equity have convened workforce diversity presentations & funded workforce diversity “pipeline” projects

Ties into Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council’s Roadmap to Cost Containment recommendations: health resource planning capabilities – ensure workforce is well-

matched to population system-wide redesign – ensure culturally and linguistically

appropriate care - Health Disparities Council Legislative Work Group

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 4

Collecting Race, Ethnicity and Language (REL) on licensed health professionals –

Different Jurisdictions

Health & Human Services DPH

Division of Health Professions Licensure & BORIM

MDs

RNs

Dentists

PAs

Pharmacists

Housing & Economic Development- OCA

Division of Professional Licensure

OTs

PTs

Psychologists

Allied Mental Health (social workers, etc)

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 5

Current Suggested Approaches

Collect Race, Ethnicity and Language (REL) on licensed health professionals.

Require health care professionals licensing boards to develop regulations which ensure that licensed health care professionals receive specific cultural competency training and education. Thus linking licensure to the demonstration of specific cultural competencies and understanding of health disparities.

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 6

Progress on REL Data Collection

Health & Human Services: Primary Care Office, Division of Health

Professions Licensure, & Board of Registration in Medicine have begun to collect REL data from new and renewing applicants in fields they regulate via online databases

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 7

Progress on REL Data CollectionProfession Timeline Notes

RN Begun 10/09

50% complete est. 12/10

100% complete c 12/13

via on-line renewal

Dentistry Begun 1/10

Complete est. 12/13

via on-line renewal

Pharmacist, LPNs, PAs

Begin est. 10/10

RPh compete 1/11

LPN complete 2/12

PAs complete 4/11

via on-line renewal

MDs Begin est. 1/11

75% complete 12/11

100% complete 12/12

via on-line renewal

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 8

Primary Care Organization Core Data Set Questions1) Are you Hispanic/Latino/Spanish? (Yes/No/Decline to answer)2) What race do you most identify with? (American Indian/Alaska

Native, Asian, Black, Nat. Hawaii/Pacific Islander, White, Decline to answer).

3) What ethnicity do you most identify with? Check all that apply. (c. 30 options including “decline to answer”.)

4. Without using a translator, in which language(s) (other than English), are you fluent enough to provide adequate care to and speak with patients? Check all that apply. (Arabic, Albanian, Korean, American Sign Language (ASL), Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Russian, Somali, Chinese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer, Other, None)

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 9

Challenges to REL data collection

Division of Professional Licensure has identified obstacles to collecting REL on the mental health & allied health professions it regulates

Cultural competency is broader than race, ethnicity and language.

The professions certify special competencies, while states license broadly

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 10

Addressing Challenges to REL data collection – possible actions

DPH shares REL data collection best practices with OCA Division of Professional Licensure

HDC initiates efforts with health professions to offer cultural competence certification and/or training

HDC gathers examples of licensing and certification requirements related to cultural competency for further study and possible action

EOHHS Office of Health Equity 11

Health Workforce Diversity Endnotes

¹Grumbach, Kevin and Mendoza, Rosalia, Disparities in Human Resources: Addressing the Lack of

Diversity in the Health Professions, Health Affairs, Vol. 27, No. 2, March/April 2008