DSHS Health Equity Vision
The following vision was created by the Texas Department of State Health Services Office of Public Health Policy and Performance. This has been updated October 14, 2020.
The Health Equity Vision for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
DSHS believes that every Texan should be able to live life to the fullest. To achieve this, Texans must be healthy. For DSHS, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June - 22 July 1946).
Currently, not all Texans enjoy the same level of health. For DSHS, individuals belonging to the following vulnerable populations are known to experience worse health and well-being outcomes when compared to the general population:
Racial and ethnic minorities
Low socioeconomic status
Chronically ill
Persons with disabilities
Elderly
Children
Women
LGBTQ+
Rural communities
Low-wage employment
The more vulnerable population categories with which an individual identifies, the greater the chance that person experiences poor health.
To bring about its vision of a Healthy Texas, DSHS commits to the following principles:
Knowledge:
DSHS commits to better understanding and addressing health disparities using data and training.
Provide health equity training to leadership and employees
Provide health equity training that becomes mandated for all new employees
Provide additional health equity employee training (cultural competence, implicit bias-civil rights office, health equity lens, community engagement)
Host a regular health equity rotation for medical residents (book club)
Have monthly health equity training webinars
- Guest speakers from other units such as LIDS, child & adolescent health branch; can also reach out to regions
Provide health equity peer learning and small group/dept. sessions
Create regional health equity work groups to address disparities within the regions (i.e., how to partner locally)
Collect and report data on the social determinants of health for major DSHS datasets disaggregated by vulnerable populations
Accountability Performance Measures:
Number of employees who complete mandated health equity training
Number of employees who complete other health equity training
Number of medical resident interns completing health equity rotation
Number of participants on monthly health equity training webinars
Number of small group/dept. sessions
Percentage of major DSHS datasets that publicly report data disaggregated by vulnerable populations
Representative Workforce:
To mitigate bias and distrust, DSHS commits to recruitment, retention, promotion, and training policies that ensure the professional workforce, including sub-contractors, reflects the demographics of the populations we serve.
Review current DSHS guidelines/policies/strategies related to workforce diversity to encompass health equity culture
Establish a hiring process that vets candidates for their sensitivities to and understanding of root causes of health inequities, including willingness to learn, cultural humility, and listening skills
Engage high schools, community and technical colleges, other non- four-year academic institutions and programs (i.e., community health worker certificate program), and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to assist in developing a public health workforce
Accountability Performance Measures:
Percentage of DSHS workforce that represents the demographic characteristics of the PHR in which these workers serve
Number of new collaborations established by type (high school, etc.)
Number of projects established based on new collaborative relationship
Community Engagement:
In working with vulnerable populations, DSHS commits to listening to these populations to hear what they identify as their most pressing needs.
Use community-based participatory research and/or qualitative methods (surveys, interviews, focus groups) to ground-truth and bring to life quantitative data and to lift community voice
Actively engage community members in selecting focus areas and project-specific and department-wide indicators, data, and priority measures to hold DSHS accountable for advancing health equity (i.e., community needs assessments)
Include voices of the people experiencing health inequities in all stages of program and policy development and create meaningful opportunities for community engagement and evaluation
Identify, support, and work collaboratively with the leadership of grassroots and civic organizations whose activities and campaigns advance health equity
Accountability Performance Measures:
Number of new collaborative partners DSHS secures annually focused on health equity initiatives
Number of community engagement events held by DSHS in each PHR
Number of community engagement events attended by DSHS staff in each PHR
Percentage of communities very satisfied with their interactions with DSHS.
Prioritized Spending:
Given its limited resources, DSHS commits to spending its time and money advancing health equity initiatives and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable among all vulnerable populations.
Identify and apply for alternative health equity funding opportunities (federal & non-federal)
Seek grants to support initial health equity capacity building with a clear plan of how to institutionalize processes, plans, and activities into the long-term budget
Collaborate with foundations, private donors, and others to direct resources toward community organizations addressing the social determinants of health and health inequities
Accountability Performance Measures:
- Number of funding opportunities applied for
- Number of funding opportunities received
- Amount of funding DSHS secures to address health equity initiatives
Percentage of the DSHS annual budget expended in the most vulnerable communities
Percentage of the DSHS annual budget committed to advancing health equity