Cayuga Health is proud to announce the upcoming launch of its Center for Health Equity Transformation on October 1, 2024. The health system is on a mission to improve health equity in all of the communities it serves in the Southern Tier of New York State. The Center will be a virtual hub for health equity strategies, initiatives, and resources, bringing together staff across the health system alongside patients, community partners, and academic centers.
Demonstrating commitment to transparency and accountability, Cayuga Health will also launch a Health Equity Dashboard as part of the Center. This innovative tool will offer an up-to-date data snapshot that can be used to identify health disparities so that staff can dive deeper to understand the gaps and enhance efforts to improve healthcare quality and health outcomes. Guided by the data, community voices, and a unified strategic plan, the Center will coordinate initiatives, measure progress, and expand the impact of research-based interventions.
“We recognize that achieving health equity requires a collective commitment to transforming our healthcare system,” said Dr. Martin Stallone, CEO of Cayuga Health. “The Center for Health Equity Transformation, along with the Health Equity Dashboard, represents a crucial step in our mission to ensure that every individual in our community has the opportunity to attain their highest level of health. We are dedicated to eliminating barriers and improving outcomes for marginalized populations.”
The Center will drive systemic change, strengthen community and academic partnerships, and transform policies and practices in order to eliminate disparities and barriers for marginalized populations, and support a vibrant, healthy, and equitable community for all.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years to work with community partners to get us to this point,” said Herb Alexander, Assistant Vice President for People & Culture and Chief Diversity Officer at Cayuga Health. “We will continue to build these partnerships, since we can’t do this work alone.”
Over the past 5 years, Cornell Public Health and the Cornell Center for Health Equity have helped Cayuga Health lay the groundwork for the Center and will continue to be vital partners in advancing this work. “It’s very exciting to see our collaboration flourish,” said Dr. Alex Travis, Director of Cornell Public Health. “There will be even more opportunities for Cornell faculty and students to partner with Cayuga Health and local communities on these efforts.”
The Center will undoubtedly advance the mission of Cayuga Health to remain the region’s leading healthcare system and most trusted driver of integrated health services, together with valued partners. We empower our people and employ our capabilities to equitably improve the well-being of the communities we serve.
For more information about the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Health Equity Dashboard, please visit cayugahealth.org/health-equity.
