Advancing Health Equity in MA

Mobilizing agencies and partners across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to eliminate racial, economic, and regional disparities in health outcomes.

Overview

As part of Governor Healey’s ongoing commitment to regional and racial equity, and to alleviate health inequities, the Healey-Driscoll Administration laid out its plan for Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM).  

This initiative, led by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is starting with two key focuses: maternal health and social determinants of health. The maternal health team will look at how best to support moms and infants in the period before, during, and after birth. At the same time, the social determinants team will examine all of the living conditions and societal structures that make a person more vulnerable to heart disease, stroke, and other cardiometabolic diseases.   

AHEM believes that when public and private sectors come together to listen to communities and support their work to address inequities, we will advance health equity and improve health outcomes. This public-private-community partnership will also establish a pathway for community voices to inform state-level policy. 

Background

In July 2023, the Department of Public Health (DPH) released a report that revealed significant racial inequities in unexpected complications of labor and delivery. It also showed that the number of these unexpected complications (“severe maternal morbidity”) had doubled over the last decade. Around the same time, DPH shared that there was a record-high number of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022, with Black residents accounting for the largest increase in deaths.

In September 2023, Governor Healey called for a comprehensive review of maternity services across the state to prevent loss of access and ensure equitable resources statewide. The Governor also called for a regional access review – because addressing regional disparities is a critical part of health equity.

The resulting reports recommended several next steps in the evolution of equitable care in Massachusetts. The Department of Public Health noted the particular challenges that rural areas face, including staffing and transportation, and recommended a focus on improved community engagement, more innovative service delivery, workforce investments and more. The recommendations included in these reports are already informing the work of Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts.

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