The latest nationwide analysis on health disparities shows that 40 percent of African-American and Latino patients receive worse medical care than white patients. But a new comprehensive outreach program from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is aiming to reduce these disparities with a new online resource package.

The RWJF program examines how American health care providers can better identify and address racial inequities in health care; it includes an issue brief, videos, case studies and other elements that highlight how doctors can use data to help raise awareness about the issue.

RWJF’s program is part of the Aligning Forces for Quality’s “Quality Field Notes” series, which highlight the lessons learned by medical professionals as they work to transform their current health care models.

“Improving equity involves data, it involves training staff, and it involves actual execution through interaction with patients,” said Lisa Sloane, a consultant to the Health Collaborative, which leads the Aligning Forces program in Cincinnati. “It takes time, diligence, and a willingness for systems and providers to work cooperatively for the good of patients.”

Currently, the program has collected data from 16 communities across the country where medical care providers are working to reduce health disparities in their facilities. To watch a video about the new campaign, click here.

For more information about the huge toll health disparities take in minority communities, click here.