Council Overview 

In the Spring of 2021, the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary (OASH), Office of Regional Health Operations (ORHO), Region 4 Health Office initiated the Region 4 Health Equity Council (HEC). The initial focus of the council was to support the equitable distribution of the coronavirus vaccine. The purpose of the council was to continue to gain situational awareness of vaccine efforts across the region, determine current jurisdictional needs, and identify/connect HHS resources to fill those needs. Given the priority HHS and the Administration has placed on health equity, the scope of the council has broadened to address health inequities that go beyond COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Our members come from a wide array of HHS Operating Divisions (OpDivs) and other federal partners: (IEA, OASH, ASPR, ACF, ACL, CDC, CMS, HRSA, FDA, IHS, OCR, SAMSHA, USDA); EPA, FTA, HUD, and FEMA. This diversity of federal agency expertise significantly enhances our support of the states in Region 4.  The Region 4 HEC emphasizes the following principles: collaboration, solution focused, and outcome driven.

Collaboration: Many federal agencies were given a charge to address health equity. The council harmonized federal regional efforts with an aim to strategically support multi-agency efforts and engage non-federal stakeholders. Members of the council shared their initiatives/priorities and partners with other agencies to amplify efforts.

Solution Focused: This process was driven by the jurisdiction’s identified challenges that enabled the council to rapidly provide resources and support to address them. Jurisdictions were asked on a recurring basis (e.g. weekly) to identify 1-2 areas where they could use federal support in reaching vulnerable populations. The council reviewed those requests, assessed how the federal agencies could meet them with existing programs/policies, and determined how to address each challenge. The council’s actions were bolstered by the ability to bring in new resources that were made available to support vaccine administration.

Outcome driven: This process was driven by the data demonstrating disparities not only in vaccine administration but also in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths resulting from coronavirus infection. The council reviewed the collection of data demonstrating the disparities, developed equity goals, and monitored progress in achieving them. Moreover, these data analyses drove further action to assist in achieving health equity outcomes.

The Region 4 Health Equity Council Presents its Inaugural Health Equity Summit

While I Have Your Attention: Unmasking and Addressing Health Inequities
September 13-14, 2022

Goal: To provide a forum for discussing and sharing innovative solutions and best practices for progressing health equity within the region.

Objectives/Outcomes:

• Promote collaboration and strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships to promote and enhance health equity
• Highlight innovative approaches, policies, and strategies for advancing health equity at multiple levels
• Highlight innovative state and local programs addressing health equity (with emphasis on federally funded)
• Share and discuss opportunities to build upon lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
• Develop and disseminate a document summarizing approaches, policies, and strategies shared; as well as contact information to further promote collaboration, adaptation, and implementation of best/promising practices