Goal

Promote health equity within Washington state through developing project plans centered on principles of health equity for diverse audiences within the healthcare ecosystem.

Objectives

• Promote translating Bree guidelines into an implementation plan specific to their culture and context.
• Examine health equity principles through presentations, discussion, and prep materials.
• Apply health equity principles to project implementation designs.
• Evaluate the relationships between SDOH, historical events, and current practices that may influence health outcomes for their populations through discussion and learning presentations.
• Develop project planning skills for the implementation of health topics.
• Grow relationships amongst peers working with the healthcare ecosystem.

 Participation Outcome

A health project plan design that can be implemented into their chosen area within their organization to enact positive change rooted in equity.

• SMATIE AIM Statement
• 1 Root cause analysis
• 1 Logic Model
• Support in developing measures.
• 1 Plan portion of a PDSA cycle designed.

Expectations for Engagement

Each participant must have a health project they would like to develop into action. The topic of the health project aligns with one of the Bree Collaborative guidelines outlined in the reports covering over 40+ health topics. Participants are committed to being active members by attending the scheduled monthly meetings, completing meeting pre-work, developing their project plan design, and engaging with the collaborative material in a respectful matter. Participants design the project plan with the intention of it being implemented within their organization.

Example: Participant is interested in Pediatric Asthma as their health topic because they are seeing a disparity in care outcomes. Participant reviewed the Bree Reports and confirmed Pediatric Asthma is a health topic of a published Bree report. The participant reviewed the report and identified the Bree guideline of “communicate asthma management plan with external partners and the broader care team including school nurses and community health workers” as an action item to incorporate into their project plan.

Meeting Structure

Each meeting is about two-hours long and held once a month for eight consecutive months. Meetings will have assigned prep work for participants to complete. During the meetings, there will be presentations, small group discussions, and learning activities to support the development of the project plan.

Benefits of Participating

Comments from Past Participants on Benefits of Engaging in the HEAC

“Brought that tool back to our team and taught our staff on the tool”.

“Excellent equity resources to share with our team.”

“Innovative frameworks, diagrams, and worksheets to define and guide the project.”

“Great connections to colleagues from other organizations”

HEAC 2023 Cohort Project Topics:

• Addressing Disparities in Breast Cancer Screening Rates
• Decreasing the frequency of emergency room visits among pediatric Hispanic/Latino patients with asthma
• Improving the collection rates for SOGI data on the patients
• Gender Affirming Care training for staff
• Decrease C-section rates among Black/African Women
• Increase Mental Health Access for BIPOC Youth
• Culturally and linguistically inclusive patient education for people with diabetes who speak Spanish
• Improve Colorectal cancer screening rates among caregivers who speak Somali, or Arabic

What is a Bree Report?

A Bree Report is defined as a multipage document on a health care service identified by Bree members as needing improvement that provides information and guidelines for actions different audiences (e.g., health delivery sites, health plans, purchasers) can take within the health care ecosystem to improve the health of that chosen report topic.

What is a Bree Guideline?

A Bree Collaborative Guideline (previously called a recommendation in earlier Bree reports) is defined as an action to improve health care for a specific health care service.

• Example: “Develop an asthma management plan that includes education, trigger mitigation, and medication management.” (Bree Collaborative Pediatric Asthma Report, pg. 8)

Are all the groups doing the same project?

No, each participating organization  is to develop a health project plan on a topic and intervention that is relevant for their work.

How do I know if my project’s topic is the right fit for the HEAC?

• Step 1: Review the Bree Report Topics found here  in the light blue font to see if your project topic aligns with a published Bree Report.
• Step 2: Click on the Bree report that aligns with your topic.
• Step 3: Find the audience you represent listed in the report, and review the guidelines under that section.  (i.e., Health Plan)
• Step 4: Identify if at least one of those guidelines to be incorporated into your project.

If you would like further help, please email bree@qualityhealth.org. Bree staff would be happy to provide further assistance.

Do I need to have a health topic chosen for my project before attending the first meeting?

It is recommended to have the health topic decided before the first meeting, however the project topic will need to be chosen before the second meeting. Please contact Bree staff for assistance in identifying an appropriate topic.

What do I need to turn into the Bree if I participate?

Bree staff will ask you to share the completed HEAC tools and information on your implementation as you feel comfortable. Bree staff wants to be mindful that participating organizations may have sensitive data that cannot be easily shared.

Is there monetary incentive provided to participants who engage in the HEAC?

There is not a monetary incentive given for participanting in the collaborative. However, the collaborative is free to join! We provide facilitation of the meeting, curriculum content, access to our staff to receive technical assistance. Furthermore, it is a space for organizations to connect with other organizations representing different parts of the Washington state healthcare ecosystem.