Hackensack Meridian uses data to drive DEI

An American Hospital Association podcast explores how Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian uses data and the AHA’s Health Equity Roadmap to improve health equity. Hackensack developed advanced metric dashboards to gauge precisely what is working and what needs improvement. Leaders can stratify data to see how populations fair by gender, age, language preferences, race and ethnicity. A cultural competence dashboard provides information about how often Hackensack offers interpreter services, discharge instructions and other materials in patients’ preferred languages. It also tracks disparities in maternal health, behavioral health, pediatrics and cancer, as well as in adverse safety events. All data is shared with its board. The CEO chairs the DEI Council, and every employee is accountable for improving DEI.