Quest Diagnostics' Q4HE Initiative Advances Health Equity In Underserved Communities With Strategic Coalition Building And Targeted Funding In 2023

(MENAFN- 3BL) Originally published in Quest Diagnostics' 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

QUEST FOR HEALTH EQUITY

We launched Q4HE in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequities in the healthcare system that had long existed. Q4HE focuses on improving access to testing and diagnostic services for under-resourced communities.

Our approach to health equity

Communities often know where the gaps in their healthcare services exist but lack the financial support or access to care to fill them.

Q4HE takes an intentional, comprehensive approach to working in local communities. This process starts with a deep analysis of the healthcare organizations and services that already exist in regions and cities. We conduct interviews with stakeholders and review reports like needs assessments and community improvement plans. Then, Q4HE seeks out the best-suited collaborators to take action and supports the formation of coalitions of community-based organizations. This coalition-building goes beyond grant funding to leverage organizations' collective expertise and familiarity to develop best-fit programs for specific populations.

In 2023, Q4HE supported 2 community-based coalitions in Baltimore, Y of Druid Hill and Baltimore Connect. This built on Q4HE's 2022 efforts to develop coalitions in Houston. In 2024, Q4HE also plans to bring its third community-based coalition together in Chicago after undergoing an extensive deep-dive analysis into what needs exist and which organizations are best suited to address them. Looking ahead, Q4HE plans to engage with grantees and other stakeholders to embed health equity knowledge, data, and expertise into our core services.

Q4HE's impact to date

$38M granted

70+ initiatives

30 states-plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico-reached

$1M+ testing donated

Focusing on community-led funding

Q4HE's grant funding strategy focuses on enabling the expertise and work of local organizations to meet the needs of the populations they serve. Q4HE maintains relationships with grantees and goes beyond one-time donations to build sustainable, productive relationships. Grantees in 2023 included:

• American Heart Association (AHA) Scholar Program, an initiative to provide undergraduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions with academic and career mentorship. In 2023, Quest extended internships to 11 AHA scholars.
• Choose Healthy Life (CHL), a nonprofit dedicated to equipping Black churches with essential resources, training, and support to tackle health disparities in underserved communities. In 2023, CHL collaborated with Quest-funded Health Navigators and CHL pastors to work with individuals who could most benefit from Quest's comprehensive Blueprint for Wellness screening program. This initiative strategically matched community members with healthcare workers and disease management resources in Atlanta, Detroit, Newark, New York City, and Washington DC.
• Experience Camps, a no-cost, 1-week program for children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. Q4HE supported Experience Camps in opening its first site in Maryland in summer 2023 as part of its strategy to respond to rising demand for grief support for children of color. This new site leveraged ethnographic research to better ensure diversity in camper and camp volunteer recruitment. In total, 71 campers attended the inaugural camp, and people of color comprised 45% of volunteers. A majority of participants shared that the camp helped them learn new ways to cope with their grief and that they hope to return.
• Americares, a health-focused relief and development organization, received Q4HE support for the creation of health equity clinical metrics, telehealth services, disease management education, and access to diagnostic testing. In 2023, 13 clinics participated in establishing Person-Centered Primary Care Measures for data collection; 4 clinics implemented telehealth services; community-based organizations in Connecticut launched a chronic disease management and wellness program; and over 5,000 people received no-cost testing at 10 no-cost and charitable clinics across 8 states.

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To learn more about Q4HE, visit questforhealthequity .

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