As healthcare evolves, hospital systems prioritize not only the level of care they provide, but also how well they respond to the needs of the people they serve.
This is true with programs like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Quality-In-Sights: Hospital Incentive Program (Q-HIP), which scores organizations’ health equity efforts.
When we invest in equitable care, our patients receive better treatment, our team members feel supported and we have additional resources that we can use to improve care.
Why do programs rewarding health equity matter?
Programs like Q-HIP recognize healthcare organizations for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. Rather than focusing on how many patients are seen, these models score performance across quality, safety, outcomes and experience.
Programs like Q-HIP align with Wellstar's mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve.
Health equity’s role in Anthem’s Q-HIP program
Q-HIP has recognized Wellstar with a reimbursement bonus point for health equity, acknowledging our efforts to reach underserved patients and tailor our care to the communities and people we serve.
“Programs like Q-HIP make it clear that equity work isn’t separate from performance—it’s part of how we deliver quality and earn the resources we reinvest back into patient care,” said Mindy St. George, Wellstar assistant vice president of managed care.
The Q-HIP health equity assessment evaluates whether health systems:
- Commit to advance health equity
- Collect and analyze demographic and social needs data
- Look at quality measures to identify disparities
- Work to improve disparities and gaps in care
- Involve leadership in equity efforts
To provide high-quality care, you need to address inequities.
Wellstar’s approach: Equity as responsiveness
At Wellstar, health equity is part of everything we do. Through Wellstar Community Health and Center for Health Equity, equity is embedded into how we design care, improve quality, engage leadership across the system and analyze data.
We focus on understanding who we serve, identifying barriers to care and continuously improving how services are delivered.
“Health equity is not an add-on to our work—it’s how we deliver better care,” said Elise Lockamy-Kassim, Wellstar assistant vice president of community health and Center for Health Equity. “When healthcare systems are responsive to people’s needs, outcomes improve, care becomes more efficient and everyone benefits.”
Why equity investments benefit everyone
When patients can access care more easily and feel like their clinicians care about them, they’re more likely to get the preventative care they need. This helps them manage chronic conditions like diabetes, stay ahead of disease and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.
Equity-driven improvements also support Wellstar team members by improving workflows and enabling us to invest resources in our people.
“When we focus on health equity, we’re strengthening the entire system,” said Dr. Earl Stewart, Wellstar medical director of health equity. “Better data and better responsiveness lead to better care—for every patient, every time.”
Why continued investment matters
Programs like Q-HIP make it clear: Equity performance is quality performance and quality performance is rewarded.
For Wellstar, continued investment in health equity means:
- Stronger performance in programs like Q-HIP
- Resources to reinvest in team members and care
- Better outcomes for patients across all communities
- A healthcare system that is responsive, resilient and sustainable
Learn more about health equity at Wellstar.
