| |  | | | “The promise of equality is not the same as true equality.” — Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In | | | | Welcome to Health Equity Solutions' monthly newsletter! Have content to contribute? Fill out this form.
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The concept of An Act Concerning Hospital Financial Assistance was raised favorably by the Public Health Committee last week. The bill language should be posted soon, followed by an opportunity to testify! Find our resources, including a factsheet, here. -
Last week's agency budget hearing for the Human Services subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee lasted roughly 11 hours. Over 65 people verbally testified in support of expanding HUSKY Health (CT's Medicaid program) to immigrants up to age 18, and many others testified in opposition to the budget cuts for HUSKY A and HUSKY C, and for improved support for people who use wheelchairs. Several more written testimonies were submitted. -
S.B. 7, An Act Concerning Paid Sick Days had a successful public hearing on Thursday, 2/22. This policy would ensure all employers, regardless of size or industry, would be required to provide at least 40 hours of sick time to all employees. Paid sick time is important to recover from illness, provide care for a sick family member, or attend to any emergency in one's daily life. New Health Equity Tools! We recently released several new health equity tools in collaboration with the State Health & Value Strategies. Special thanks to Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette, Dashni Sathasivam, and Karen Siegel for all their hard work and contributions. Click here to learn more about these tools and how to use them. Check them out here: -
The Health Equity Impact Tool is a multi-part online evaluation for state agencies to examine their equity work at a high level. -
The Health Equity Policy Tool is a framework for reviewing and evaluating the impact on equity of current or proposed policies and projects. New Maternal Health Publication! As the maternal health crisis continues to impact communities across the U.S., reimbursement trends will be critical to retain and increase maternal health providers. Thank you to Harley Webley and Katherine Villeda for working on this! | | | | | | 🏥 Stay up to date with Hospital Financial Assistance! New Landing Page! Did you know? Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide free or discounted health services to people who meet their criteria for financial assistance. However, 45% of them regularly send medical bills to individuals qualified for assistance. HES recently launched a NEW LANDING PAGE for all updates on hospital financial assistance for the 2024 legislative session. Want to submit testimony? Or download our social media toolkits? Click here to visit our landing page. Financial Assistance Testimony Workshops! You're invited! Join us in breaking the cycle of economic and health inequity! Health Equity Solutions and healthcare advocates in Connecticut are leading the charge to improve hospital financial assistance policies and making healthcare accessible to communities burdened by medical debt. Join our testimony writing workshops and learn how to engage as healthcare advocates. - Registration 👉https://bit.ly/HESTESTIMONY.
- English workshop: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
- Spanish workshop: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
- Same Zoom Link for both sessions. Choose your time and let's make a difference together!
| |  | | |  | | | 📣 Legislative Session Kickoff: Advocacy in Action! Legislative Session has commenced! This month we joined advocates at the Legislative Office Building to support increased access to care for immigrants, voting rights, women's and children's health, and much more. Photos below: | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | 33 Days Until Health Equity Week! #HEW2024 The first full week of April is recognized in state statute as Health Equity Week (HEW). It annually reaffirms Connecticut’s commitment to eliminating inequities in health and ensuring all residents have the opportunity to achieve optimal health. Check out our previous HEW celebrations here. Interested in hosting an event or partnering with HES? Email Kally Moquete at Kmoquete@hesct.org. Sponsorships Sponsors of Health Equity Week 2024 receive prominent visibility and recognition. Together, let’s promote the accessibility and affordability of healthcare for ALL residents of Connecticut! Health Equity Solutions is a registered 501(3)(c) charity and all donations, including sponsorships, are tax-deductible as allowed by IRS regulations. Interested in sponsoring Health Equity Week or making a charitable donation to Health Equity Solutions? Contact Jennifer Baril at jbaril@hesct.org! We appreciate your support. View the sponsorship package here! | |  | Submit Your Nominations: Patricia Baker Award for Health Equity Advocacy Health Equity Solutions invites YOU (community members and organizations) to submit nominations for the Patricia Baker Award for Health Equity Advocacy. This award represents excellence in policy advocacy to advance systems-level change to promote health equity in Connecticut. The award will be presented during Health Equity Week! We will be accepting nominations until March 1, 2024. Nominations must be submitted by completing this form. | |  | | | | Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our newest board director, Dr. Sakinah Carter Suttiratana, PhD, MPH, MBA (she/her). She is a Sociologist of Health and Illness who studies various sociocultural influences on health. We are thrilled to have her join our board and look forward to the valuable insights she will bring to our organization. Get to know Dr. Suttiratana better by checking out her profile here! | |  | | | | The HES Advantage is an extension of Health Equity Solutions that offers customizable, equitable consulting, facilitation, and training services to agencies, healthcare systems, and communities with a race-forward approach. | | | | | | | | | | | | | Join the Fairfield Community Foundation's Equity Lab and Connecticut Public on February 29th for a Community Speakers Event, featuring Dr. Uché Blackstock. The event will delve into Dr. Blackstock's memoir, "LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine" addressing the persistence of racial health inequities and emphasizing the importance of understanding the history of medical racism for driving positive change. Register here. Contact: info@FCCFoundation.org or call 203.750.3200. | |  | Black Women's Health: Mental and Maternal Health Join the Hartford YWCA and the Connecticut Commission on Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity on February 29th, 2024 for a discussion on the mental and maternal health of Black women. Location: Hearing Room 1A in the Legislative Office Building, Hartford, CT from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For information contact: denise.drummond@cga.ct.gov | |  | Free Doula Program for Bridgeport, CT Residents Are you a resident of Bridgeport, CT? Will you or someone you know give birth before June 1st, 2024? Register for free Doula support with Earth's Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond. Check out the flyer for more details. | |  | | | | | | | Stay informed about the latest developments in health equity, social determinants of health, racial justice, and more! Every week, we feature relevant news articles and reports on our social media. Check out a few highlights below: | | | | Made it this far? Thank you so much for reading our updates! We appreciate your support. If you have any questions, please email info@hesct.org. Best, HES Team | | | | | | Health Equity Solutions
53 Oak Street | Hartford, Connecticut 06106
860.461.7637 | info@hesct.org | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
