Essentia Health Will Seek Additional Patient Information To Improve Health Equity

In an effort to address racial and ethnic disparities in health care, Essentia Health will begin seeking additional information from our patients.

Essentia will ask patients if they would like to expand the information they share with us about their race, ethnicity and preferred language. We also will ask if they’d like to update their religious or spiritual preferences. These questions can be answered in Essentia’s MyChart patient portal, during registration or the rooming process. They will allow us to learn more about the patients and communities we serve and help us provide better care.

These changes will be implemented in phases beginning Tuesday, Oct. 17.

“If we don’t learn more about our patients, we can’t develop plans to address care disparities,” said Dr. Gratia Pitcher, Essentia’s chief patient quality and safety officer. “By collecting more comprehensive race and ethnicity data, we will be able to improve equitable access to care.”

Dr. Pitcher notes that while some of this data already is collected, current questions omit certain population groups and are not specific enough to provide meaningful guidance in addressing gaps in care.

“Essentia is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,” she added. “It’s critically important that all of our patients feel heard, understood and accepted.”

For more information, visit EssentiaHealth.org.