The American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the American Cancer Society and the University of Michigan School of Public Health in collaboration with Bank of America, announced April 27, the launch of a signature health equity initiative, an impact-driven program to advance healthy outcomes for under-resourced communities.

This $25 million, four-year initiative will initially launch in 11 cities: Albuquerque, N.M.; Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Memphis, Tenn.; Philadelphia; San Antonio; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C.

As part of this effort, the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association will focus on three key areas: education and capacity building for health systems and partners; increasing access to health screenings and preventive care; and advocating for greater health equity with national, local and state leaders.

“Lack of access, education and advocacy for communities of color have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, shining a light on historic, systemic gaps in American health care,” said D. Steve Boland, chief administrative officer at Bank of America. “Some communities of color experience a shorter life expectancy of 20 years or more due in large part to historic policies and legacy systems that impact equitable health care opportunities. Addressing barriers to health equity is a critical step in helping communities move forward and realize true economic mobility.”

Charles D. Henderson, American Diabetes Association chief development officer. “Having access to healthcare should be a human right no matter one’s race, income, zip code, age, education or gender. Health inequity is obvious and widespread, it contributes to worse outcomes and higher risk for diabetes and many other diseases. The time to act is now and there are no better health organizations than the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society to move the needle and drive change.”

“Data tells us that the same factors that align with health equity directly connect with economic mobility. Structural racism, quality education opportunities, affordable housing and transportation and secure employment with fair pay and sick leave directly impact access to the preventive resources and quality health care needed to improve outcomes in these communities,” said Tawana Thomas-Johnson, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at the American Cancer Society. “It’s a moral imperative that we work together with communities to address these health needs and improve public policy to ensure no one is disadvantaged based on who they are or where they live.”

To scale this work further, the University of Michigan School of Public Health will measure progress and impact on health outcomes through robust evaluation as part of the initiative.

“Health equity is at the heart of everything we do in public health,” said DuBois Bowman, dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “It is critical that we work in partnership with communities to disseminate health-focused programs. In doing so, we must be able to determine measures of success, evaluate if we are hitting those markers, and adjust our approaches as needed to achieve our ultimate goals of improving health and equity. We must also document what we learn, both successes and challenges, to support wide-spread adoption. We are excited to work alongside Bank of America and the nation’s leading health agencies to help identify ways to make a lasting impact on the health of communities across the country.”