The Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Steering Committee is established at the Metrowest Health Foundation, chaired by Edna Smith.
In the summer of 2004, board chair Edna Smith challenged the Trustees of the foundation to acknowledge and address local racial and ethnic health disparities. She spoke from her experience as a nurse and as a former director of the Mattapan Community Health Center. The Trustees responded favorably and unanimously agreed to commit $1 million of the foundation's resources towards the effort. In 2005 a subcommittee is formed to guide the foundation in developing a grantmaking strategy to address health disparities. It comprises members of the board as well as professionals working in medical and community-based organizations in the region. The group commissions the Harvard School of Public Health to engage with community members and stakeholders and use their findings to inform the foundation's work.
The consultants present "Developing a Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Initiative" the following year. The report recommends that the foundation invest resources in supporting a diverse and representative healthcare workforce; collecting and reporting on health disparities data; creating a disparities workgroup; and other methods of educating community members and equipping grantees to advocate for a more equitable system.
