Two health care leaders join forces to address health disparities
Washington, DC. URAC, the nation’s largest and most complete independent health care accreditation organization, and The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), a research and educational organization dedicated to ensuring that high-risk racial and ethnic populations and communities receive optimal health care, announced they will explore the establishment of health equity standards for use by URAC in its accreditation and certification processes. The eventual goal of the partnership is the development of a recognition program to allow health care organizations to show their commitment to addressing and alleviating health disparities.
The evidence-based standards that result from this partnership will combine NMQF’s expertise and vision for the realignment of the American health system infrastructure to prioritize mitigation of patient risk and URAC’s deep experience and infrastructure as an accreditor.
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with URAC,” said Gary A. Puckrein, PhD, President and CEO of NMQF. “The partnership between NMQF and URAC is uniquely positioned to develop standards of health equity that will support NMQF’s efforts to reimagine the infrastructure of American health services research, delivery and financing in a manner that will prioritize the mitigation of patient risk versus mitigating financial risk.”
Shawn Griffin, MD, President and CEO of URAC, agrees. “NMQF has been making major strides in its efforts to create an American health services research, delivery and financing system with an operating principle to reduce patient risk for morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life,” Griffin said. “URAC’s collaboration with NMQF to explore the establishment of health equity certification performance and process standards is vital to our intention and efforts to define and write standards that elevate health care for every individual.”
About National Minority Quality Forum
The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. The mission of NMQF is to reduce patient risk by assuring optimal care for all. NMQF’s vision is an American health services research, delivery and financing system whose operating principle is to reduce patient risk for amenable morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life. For more information, please visit www.nmqf.org.
