Business & Merchant

Last Updated on Sunday, 29 December 2024 23:45

Allegheny Health Network (AHN), a leading integrated healthcare delivery system in western Pennsylvania and a part of Highmark Health, is pleased to announce it has been named as a top health system for Black America by BlackDoctor.org, a national leader in advocating for the health and wellness of black Americans. This award recognizes healthcare institutions that demonstrate a commitment to improving health equity for Black patients.

Pictured above is the team of Allegheny Health Network's Equitable Health Institute

“It’s an honor to be recognized as a top healthcare destination for Black patients, and this award is a testament to the network’s ongoing commitment to addressing racial disparities, social determinants of health, and barriers to care that predominantly impact the health and well-being of Black families across the region,” said Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, chief clinical diversity, equity and inclusion officer at AHN/Highmark Health. “As a leading healthcare provider in this area, it’s our responsibility to foster an inclusive environment that serves as a healing space for all patients and meets them where they are, with the highest levels of care and compassion.”

AHN is among 76 U.S. hospitals and one of only four in the state – and the only one in Western Pennsylvania – to be named in the list

Awardees were selected by advisory board members of BlackDoctor.org, who are not employed by the organization. Selection criteria included:

• Feedback from Black doctors across the country, who recommended hospitals they trust to provide care for their families

• Quality of care and patient satisfaction scores

• Representation of persons of color and women in senior leadership roles

• Initiatives that positively impact urban communities

• Supplier diversity and procurement margins

• Commitment to equitable care for the Black community

• Presence of a Chief Equity/Diversity Officer within the organization

Across AHN/Highmark Health, the DEI team works tirelessly to support executive sponsorships, supplier diversity and business resource groups as well as community programs, regular screening initiatives and engagements that come together as a comprehensive strategy to foster an inclusive workplace and improve the health and wellbeing of underrepresented communities throughout western Pennsylvania.

In 2024 alone, the network:

• Hosted more than 140 health outreach and wellness events, and more than 5,100 individual health screenings – focusing on men’s, women’s and heart health – in underserved, predominantly Black communities

• Launched an initiative under First Steps and Beyond, a community-based maternal/infant health program led by AHN, to support the nutrition of birthing people throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area.

• Rolled out a training to all Pittsburgh-based clinical providers on racial bias in obstetrics. in an effort to improve maternal and infant mortality health outcomes.

• Established “AHN Young Scholars,” a summer program to introduce 8th grade students, all of whom are Black students, to the network’s flagship facility, Allegheny General Hospital, and various career paths in medicine.

• Supported the network’s Talent Attraction Program, a first-of-its-kind work-study program in the region designed to significantly increase the number of diverse candidates for AHN employment opportunities across various allied health fields.

• Partnered with the City of Pittsburgh EMS to host a Stop the Bleed®, CPR/AED and Narcan administration training for more than 30 local youth football coaches

Highmark Health, AHN’s parent organization, was also recognized this year as one of the country’s “Best Place to work for Disability Inclusion,” by the Disability Equality Index and a “Certified Age Friendly Employer” from the Age Friendly Institute.

The BlackDoctor.org 2025 “Best Hospitals for Black America” winners will be formally recognized during an awards ceremony and symposium on Jan. 23, 2025, at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. The winners will play a fundamental role in driving further conversations on how to eliminate healthcare disparities that continue to disproportionately impact Black patients, according to a press release by the organization.