(BPT) - Healthcare is often top of mind for many Minnesotans. This is particularly true during the open enrollment period for health insurance benefits, when people need to make decisions for the coming year. But not all Minnesotans have access to quality care — and clinical care is just one piece of what goes into keeping people healthy.
In fact, 90 percent of health happens outside of the doctor’s office. Most of a person’s health is determined by their physical environment — where they live, work, learn and play — along with their access to fresh, healthy foods and safe places to be active.
Unfortunately, not all Minnesotans have access to the things they need to be healthy, leading to significant gaps in health outcomes. A report from the University of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota found that health disparities cost Minnesota $2.26 billion and 766 lives lost every year.
“The health of many people in Minnesota is suffering due to deep and persistent health inequities, and this must be addressed,” said Craig Samitt, president and chief executive officer at Blue Cross. “Advancing health equity saves lives, saves money, increases productivity, and improves the health of all Minnesotans. We all need to commit to taking action, for the sake of our communities and the future of our businesses.”
The resources saved by addressing health equity in Minnesota could be used to:
- Provide annual assisted living costs for more than 47,000 people.
- Build 15 high schools.
- Cover annual nursing home care for more than 25,000 people.
What can businesses do to help? Blue Cross has created a robust webpage filled with resources for addressing health inequities. Top tips include:
Ensure policies are equitable
Take a look at your workplace policies, procedures and processes. Do they promote an inclusive and welcoming environment for women, people of color, LGBTQ people, those with disabilities, older employees? Consider performing an audit on all of your policies, procedures and processes.
Reconsider workplace environment
Your workplace environment should reflect your commitment to health equity, and line up with your health equity policies, procedures and processes. Here are some ideas to consider as you assess whether your environment is inclusive and welcoming for women, people of color and indigenous people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and older employees:
- Assign a person or a committee to be responsible for coordinating your health equity work.
- Train senior leaders — the behavior of managers has a powerful impact on the workplace experience for all employees.
- Offer mentoring opportunities for new employees.
- Communicate with employees.
Assess workplace culture
Providing a welcoming, inclusive culture for employees is key to increasing recruitment and retention and can be a key differentiator in today’s marketplace. A positive culture enhances your brand and reputation while strengthening employees’ morale and commitment to the organization.
Employee expectations continue to shift. It’s more important than ever to think beyond the status quo and start considering ways to enhance employee culture differently than in the past.
Look at who’s around the table
Look at your board, leadership committees, and decision makers. Consider whose voices are the loudest, and whose voices are not being heard. Diversity in people and ideas encourages a culture of success and better business performance. Everyone benefits from having different experiences at the table. Having diverse representation in leadership allows for companies to adapt to a changing environment and enhance innovation.
Blue Cross’ webpage also includes videos that explain how peoples’ health is impacted based on zip code, race, income, and gender. To view the videos and learn more about why Minnesota companies should make health equity their business, visit www.BlueCrossMN.com/healthequity.