Our Strategic Direction: Commitment to Health Equity
Our Strategic Direction: Commitment to Health Equity
Click here to read about MHM’s strategic direction and commitment to advancing health equity.
Through a bold strategic plan and framework, Methodist Healthcare Ministries is committed to advancing health equity.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries defines health equity as a framework of thought and action that strives to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life and contribute to that of others.
Our Strategic Framework
Working with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Board of Directors approved a framework adapted from IHI’s Pathways to Population Health model. This framework allows the organization to advance health equity by focusing on individual medical, behavioral, social and spiritual health and well-being, while also focusing on community conditions and root causes of health inequity that impact community- wide health and well-being .
Click here to learn more about MHM’s strategic framework and portfolios
Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ strategic framework is a continuum of care centered around two pillars:
- Fostering the development of empowered, resilient individuals and families (Thriving People); and
- Contributing to the overall health and well-being of communities by strengthening conditions of the environments in the places where people exist through long-term, sustainable collaboration.
Our Strategic Plan
Our Strategic Plan
The 20/20 Vision strategic plan, approved by Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Board of Directors in 2020, builds upon the work the organization has done over the past two decades. This allows the organization to look at new and innovative ways of achieving its overall goals of impacting community-level conditions with a focus on the social determinants of health.
Commitment to Systemic Change
Methodist Healthcare Ministries recognizes that a combination of solutions and an integrated approach are needed to disrupt the complex cycle of intergenerational poverty. Selected strategic initiatives have been identified as priorities within the systems change focus area to address the root causes of health inequities.
Going Upstream
The strategic framework also allows the organization to build upon its legacy of providing high quality access to care and commit to expanding its “upstream” work. That means Methodist Healthcare Ministries will intentionally address conditions and circumstances across entire communities that affect the health and well-being of patients and clients before they might reach Methodist Healthcare Ministries or its partners for assistance.
Why a New Strategic Direction?
Over the last 25 years, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has enhanced the health and well-being of countless individuals and families through its direct services, grantmaking and advocacy work. In striving to be the leader for improving wellness of the least served, the organization must continue to evaluate, not only the impact of its journey thus far, but also the overall health and well-being in communities within its 74 county service area
Our Guiding Principles
Methodist Healthcare Ministries has adopted eight key principles to guide their work moving forward:
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries understands that health and wellness begin long before individuals seek clinical care and prioritizes the importance of the social determinants of health and access to quality resources and care as driving factors for the well-being of individuals, families and communities throughout their lives.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries realizes achievement of improved health and well-being of the people and communities we serve is a long-term commitment that requires intentional efforts focused on health equity.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries seeks to balance its work for the least served by providing the best quality clinical care, connecting individuals and families to needed resources, and working with communities to improve their health and well-being.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries recognizes it can’t address the needs of every community alone, but it can support, convene, and/or partner with others engaged in and/or leading efforts to improve community health and well-being.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries builds relationships with churches and faith communities of all denominations to advance the health and well-being of families and whole communities.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries partners with people with lived experiences to co-design, co-create, co-evaluate changes that improve health and well-being of families and communities.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries supports place-based efforts to strengthen historically underserved communities.
- Methodist Healthcare Ministries sustains a culture of continuous improvement and learning where innovation is welcomed, practiced, tested, and implemented.