HealthEast Care System Selected to Participate in National Disparities Leadership Program

ST. PAUL, MN--(Marketwire - May 21, 2009) - HealthEast Care System announced today that Craig Svendsen, MD, Chief Medical Quality Officer, and Elizabeth Walker Anderson, System Director of Cross Cultural Services, have been selected to attend the 2009-2010 Disparities Leadership Program.

This year-long executive education program -- which is being hosted by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School -- is designed for health care leaders who want to develop and implement practical strategies to monitor and address racial and ethnic disparities in their organizations. A quality improvement focus will help to drive strategic efforts to overcome these disparities within hospitals, health plans, and communities across the country. HealthEast is the only Minnesota health care organization chosen for this year's program.

"Research has shown us that a gap exists between the quality of, and access to, health care that people should be receiving and what is actually happening in our diverse communities," says Anderson. "HealthEast can be proud of our commitment to closing this gap and of our accomplishments to date in providing culturally responsive care, but we need to continue looking at what remains to be done to ensure that care for everyone -- regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or any other personal characteristic -- is timely, safe, patient-centered, efficient, and equitable."

According to Craig Svendsen, equity is a key component of quality. "The opportunity to network and collaborate with national leaders who are doing innovative, best practice work focused on equity allows us to leapfrog to the next level in how we deliver service. This, in turn, will help us to drive ideas that meet our quality institute's mission of providing competent, compassionate, evidence based care that is consistent across the board and that assist us in walking the journey to become the benchmark for quality by 2010 and beyond."

Svendsen also says that, over the past three years, a system-wide team has laid a strong foundation for culturally-responsive strategies. This team was assembled to respond to an organizational assessment completed a few years ago; the assessment then became a "call to action" for HealthEast. The team's work has included everything from growing interpreter services to strengthening community relationships. As a result of this work, HealthEast's employee engagement strategy and patient care strategy have become highly integrated.

Anderson notes that addressing racial and ethnic disparities will not only benefit patients and families, but employees as well. "When we provide the highest quality of care to patients based on their unique needs and perspectives, we build strong relationships. These kinds of relationships create an environment that is respectful and productive, a place where people enjoy doing their work."

Both Anderson and Svendsen say that this program is similar in scope and purpose to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and fits with Institute of Medicine aims for moving health care into the future.

"HealthEast is pleased and flattered to be recognized as capable of making local strides in disparities resolutions that add to an overall body of knowledge and that will allow us, when we complete this program, to be a role model for other hospitals."

The opening meeting for this program is May 27, 2009.

HealthEast Care System is a community-focused, non-profit health care organization that provides innovative technology, compassionate care and a full spectrum of family health services. HealthEast includes Bethesda Hospital, St. John's Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital and Woodwinds Health Campus as well as outpatient services, clinics, home care, pharmacies and medical transportation services.

Practicing financial responsibility, HealthEast is the largest locally-owned health care organization in the Twin Cities' East Metro with 7,300 employees, 1,200 volunteers and 1,400 physicians on staff.

Contact Information: Contact: Lynn Sadoff Senior Public Relations Specialist HealthEast Care System 651-326-3590 (office) 612-723-8991 (cell) 651-864-1023 (pager) Email address: