Health Equity Academy in System Transformation

Federal and state governments, providers, health care industry leaders, and other stakeholders are making critical decisions about how health care is organized, delivered, and paid for to transform our health care system into one that provides higher value and quality care at lower cost, with the goal of improving our nation’s health. However, input from the people who these systems purport to serve—particularly communities of color and other communities disproportionately affected by health inequities—is missing from the decisions that impact health care payment and delivery. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color and people with disabilities evidences the importance of advocacy now to transform health care.

Families USA is at the forefront of a movement to build and train a corps of health equity advocates who can effectively participate in discussions and decision-making about payment and delivery reform. We launched the Health Equity Academy in System Transformation to ensure the needs and priorities of communities are included in policymaking efforts.

Health Equity Academy in System Transformation

The Health Equity Academy in System Transformation trains and provides ongoing learning opportunities, strategic guidance, and technical support to leaders from communities of color and other marginalized communities. Participants gain formidable subject matter and advocacy skills to help them become stronger advocates for transforming our health care system to serve health equity at the local, state, and national levels. The Academy will hold annual national trainings, convene regional trainings in collaboration with key partners, develop and support an ongoing learning community, and create and disseminate resources to help ensure community voices are included in health system transformation. We encourage health care advocates and non-profit health and community organization leaders to apply for the Academy.

What Will You Learn?

During the training, Academy fellows will engage in:

• Intensive, in-depth subject matter training from national experts in health equity policy, health care policy, and payment and delivery system transformation policy.
• Training on a suite of concrete policy advocacy skills and strategies, including communications and media.
• The opportunity to connect with other like-minded advocates from across the country with shared goals.

In addition, Fellows will have access to post-training opportunities, including:

• Continuing engagement with their cohort of Fellows, as well as other cohorts and experts, in a learning community.
• Ongoing continuing education and training on critical health equity and system transformation issues through webinars and other means.
• Preferential access to strategic guidance and technical assistance services through the Center on Health Equity Action for System Transformation.

Apply for the 2022 Health Equity Academy Fellowship

Families USA is currently accepting applications for its next cohort of Health Equity Academy Fellows. The selected fellows will work alongside a number of advocates from across the country for a year-long period and obtain useful tools and resources to effectively pursue policy advocacy, with a focus on health equity at the state, community and/or federal level.  This year’s academy will include work on advocacy strategies that further advance policies to diversify the health care workforce and increase access to culturally competent behavioral health care.

Fellows will attend two virtual half-day trainings on June 28-29, 2022. Fellows will then reconvene on a monthly basis with a national group of state and community-based health equity advocates.  The meetings will provide a platform for fellows to build useful relationships with one another and take note of specific strategies to further utilize health-equity-focused advocacy work within their own states/communities.

Applications for the June Health Equity Academy Fellowship are now closed. Please sign up for our email list to receive updates on future opportunities.

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National Academies

First Class of Fellows Graduates from the National Academy

Leaders from across the country were selected through a competitive process to become the first Academy Fellows. Thanks to the generous support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, these leaders came together in November 2019 to learn from top national experts and fellow advocates and strategize on how to dismantle health care system inequities. This cohort will continue sharing ongoing lessons from their advocacy.

View the list of Academy Fellows

Second Class of Fellows Graduates from the National Academy

View the list of Academy Fellows

Third Class Of Fellows Graduates From the National Academy

View the list of Academy Fellows

Fourth Class Of Fellows Graduates From the National Academy

View the list of Academy Fellows

State Academies

View the list of Academy Fellows from the Connecticut Academy

View the list of Academy Fellows from the Oregon Academy