The Health Disparities Collaborative (HDC) was developed to help primary health care practices in order to improve the health care provided to patients and eliminate health disparities. The first collaborative began in 1998 and focused on diabetes. The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) funded one Primary Care Association/Clinical Network in each of five regional clusters (Midwest; Northeast; Southeast; Pacific West and West Central) of the country. National Clinical Networks focused on oral health, migrant farm worker health care, and homeless health care and worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to develop the infrastructure to support the Health Disparities Collaborative. Since then, the HDC has spread to cover multiple chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, asthma, and has also branched into chronic illness prevention and finance/redesign. The goals of the HDC are to decrease or delay complications of disease, decrease the economic burden for patients and communities, and improve access to quality chronic disease care for underserved populations. The Midwest Cluster staff members work with participating centers to develop the infrastructure, expertise, and leadership to support and drive improved health outcomes through continual learning, improvement and change. |
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