Main Line Health Hosts 10th Annual Healthcare Disparities Colloquium

People hold hands showing unity

On Friday June 11, Main Line Health hosted its 10th annual (second virtual) Healthcare Disparities Colloquium. Each year, employees from across Main Line Health join community leaders and our health care partners to discuss research, initiatives, and ideas that will allow us to address disparities in care and better serve our patients and community members.

“Every day we make it our mission to eliminate disparities in care and provide a safe and respectful environment for our patients, visitors and employees regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation,” says Jack Lynch, FACHE, President and CEO, Main Line Health. “Hosting the 10th Colloquium is a true demonstration of Main Line Health’s collective dedication to identifying and addressing disparities in care and our commitment to advancing an environment of cultural competence and universal respect.”

This year’s event focused on the problem of systemic racism with a panel discussion of five prominent regional healthcare CEOs, moderated by Jack Lynch. The key topic was “What have we learned about systemic racism through the pandemic, and what will we do about it?”

Dr. Barbara Wadsworth, DNP, RN, Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Nursing Officer, Dr. Rosangely Cruz-Rojas, Director Performance Measurement, Improvement and Analytics and Dr. Gregory Churchill, Senior Resident in Internal Medicine started the presentation by exploring the data, breaking down the various demographics Main Line Health has recorded while also discussing the vaccine distribution challenges Main Line Health overcame and continues to face.

Additionally, leaders from hospitals in our region participated in the discussion about the healthcare disparities faced at each of their organizations, including Dixie P. James, President and COO of Einstein Medical Center; Stephen Klasko, President and CEO of Jefferson Health; Kevin Mahoney, MD, MBA, CEO of Penn Medicine; Dennis Pullin, FACHE President and CEO of Virtua Health; Michael Young, CEO of Temple University Health. This was followed by a session focused on disparities in health across the nation, with perspective from speaker Dwight Evans, Representative (D-PA 3rd District).

Representative Dwight Evans demonstrated his continued support of Main Line Health and Together for West Philadelphia through his closing remarks of this year’s Colloquium.

“Jack questioned the CEOs on how their health systems will work towards equity measures internally in their systems and what they feel needs to be accomplished in the Philadelphia region to rid healthcare institutions of policies that set up roadblocks to access for people of color,” Barry Mann, MD, Chief Academic Officer, Main Line Health said. “The CEO panel assembled was a highly influential group and Jack challenged them as to whether their heightened collaboration during the pandemic will continue. All the CEOs responded affirmatively, which could potentially usher in a new era of cooperation with a significant positive impact on the regional community.”

About Main Line Health

Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its suburbs. Main Line Health's commitment — to deliver safe, high-quality, equitable and affordable care for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management, as well as training physicians and other health care providers — reflects our intent to be the region's premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of more than 13,000 employees and over 2,100 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers care for patients throughout Main Line Health.

At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital.

Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks.

Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care and service, including the prestigious American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize, highest tier ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Overall Hospital Quality and systemwide recognition in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area and has embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives.

For more information, visit mainlinehealth.org and connect with us on social media:

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Contact

Phil Ellingsworth, Jr.
Director, Communications
Office: 484.580.1182
[email protected]