Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA Health Equity and Disparities Track

Thomas Baudendistel; Nailah Thompson; Calvin Wheeler; Theresa Azevedo; Michelle Loaiza

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN – Development of a Health Equity and Disparities Residency Track

Vision Statement	Kaiser Permanente is a leader in identifying, measuring, and helping to eliminate disparities in health and healthcare. We will deepen our engagement in the promotion of health equity and the elimination of health disparities through research, advocacy, education, and dissemination of such work with the communities we serve.
Team Objectives	Kaiser Permanente developed a Health Equity and Disparities track within the Internal Medicine-Oakland residency program. The residency is located in a diverse community with socioeconomic differences, as well as vast health disparities. Through advocacy, research, and direct community involvement, trainees will better understand the construct of public health, social determinants of health, and disparities. Trainees will be able to identify and implement strategies that support healthy communities.
Success Factors	We were inspired by the vision and dedication of our organization to serve the needs of the community through the development of the Health Equity and Disparities track. We received leadership support to (1) recruit a track program director, (2) expand the residency program, and (3) consider integration of the track concept into additional Kaiser Permanente residency programs.
Barriers	The largest barrier encountered was identification of a community-based continuity clinic for consistent resident rotations. We worked to overcome this challenge by considering additional community partners/sites that may not have otherwise considered resident education in their setting. The development of a Community Medicine fellowship to precept the residents reduced concerns of patient care access/faculty time.
Lessons Learned	Important advice for another team embarking on a similar initiative is as follows: Ensure that executive leadership is educated early in the development of a track to receive buy-in and support, including financial resources Allocate a project manager to coordinate communication and project milestones Promote the track at medical student marketing events early in the interview season Recruit a track program director early in the track development Understand community partner concerns about resident rotations in their healthcare settings