Massachusetts Health Professions Workforce Diversity: Update

1. Massachusetts Health Professions Workforce Diversity: Update Executive Office of Health and Human Services

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 Transformation • Promote 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. Health & Human ServicesDPH 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) Collecting Race, Ethnicity and Language (REL) on licensed health professionals – Different Jurisdictions 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 Collection EOHHS Office of Health Equity

8. Primary Care Organization Core Data Set Questions 1) 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 EOHHS Office of Health Equity