Promising Programs in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care Addressing... researched and compiled by Sarah McCloskey, Erin Kennedy, and Michele Sloan December 2004 and updated March 2008
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National Business Group | Verizon Communications | Pfizer
Background
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, within the next ten years over
40 percent of the workforce will comprise individuals in racial and ethnic
minority groups. For big business, an unhealthy workforce results in less
productivity. Because of the growing number of minorities working in
businesses today, coupled with the fact that racial and ethnic health disparities
exist despite insurance status, big businesses are gaining more of an incentive to
aid in the effort to eliminate disparities. The effect of health disparities on
business is a relatively new development; therefore, few initiatives have been
implemented to aid in eliminating the problem. Currently, most action on this
topic has been in educating corporations and business owners about the presence
of racial and ethnic health disparities and the possible implications they could
have in business in the years to come.*
*Office of Minority Health A Business Case for Eliminating Health Disparities
www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx
National Business GroupHealth Disparities Initiative – The main goals of this initiative is to inform employers of the impacts health disparities can have on their business, educate employers on how to best purchase group insurance to satisfy the needs of a diverse workforce, and to serve as a link between communities and business. To date, this initiative has started programs that make employers collect data from minority employees on health and created an on-line resource for employers who wish to become more informed on the topic. In addition, they have created an Employer Toolkit, which provides employers with strategies to reduce health disparities. Strategies include things such as addressing the language barrier. Furthermore, members of the Business Group can get the toolkit and other resources on CD-ROM. www.businessgrouphealth.org/prevention/disparities.cfm
Verizon CommunicationsVerizon is one of the world’s leading communication providers. Not only do
they serve a diverse cliental, but they employ over 200,000 people, and 33
percent of these employees are minorities. Following recommendation of the
HHS and the IOM, Verizon has instituted a plan in which they rank the major
healthcare providers to Verizon employees based on their awareness of
disparities in health care and is equipped with the data and the cultural
competency tools in order to better the health care of their minority employees.
In addition, Verizon provides disparity education information through their
employee newsletter and created five employee resource groups that focus on
minority groups and partner with the health-management teams to help promote
well-being. Furthermore, Verizon has become a leading company in working
with employer-led groups to eliminate disparities as well as through promoting
an Employer Toolkit, which collects information on racial and ethnic health
through the National Business Group on Health. While Verizon is not trying to
create a diverse healthcare workforce, they are trying to ensure that minorities in
the workforce are not treated unfairly. content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/24/2/421.pdf 
PfizerWorking to End Health Disparities – Pfizer, as one of the world’s fastest
growing pharmaceutical companies, also addresses public policy issues in order
to create effective medicines and get them to patients in the most efficient
manner. In order to aid in reforming health care, Pfizer has become a corporate
leader dedicated to eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. Pfizer has
partnered with many businesses and other organizations to not only aid
underserved communities and the uninsured in obtaining health care, but it also
has partnered with businesses to help in educating businesses on the importance
of a healthy and diverse workforce. This report outlines the initiatives that
Pfizer has sponsored or partaken in to eliminate disparities in many areas of
health care. www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/corporate_citizenship/health_disparities.pdf
For more information, contact Eric Jacobson (302-831-1711).
photo on this page courtesy of the Administration on Aging
