The HHC Center for Equity was established in 2023 and is led by Sarah Lewis, who joined HHC as Vice President for Health Equity in 2019, and HHC Chief Clinical Integration Officer Dr. James Cardon. 

The center is organized around an understanding of the factors that enhance equity and allow us to measure meaningful progress:

• Gathering and sharing health equity data to better identify trends and issues we can more effectively act on to eliminate healthcare inequities.
• Ensuring that learning and development opportunities to engage colleagues in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives are widely available, promoted and utilized.
• Optimizing HHC’s Colleague Resource Groups and DEIB Councils, enhancing engagement, participation and advocacy.
• Using research, data-driven best practices, and patient voice to strengthen our delivery of equitable, patient-centered care.
• Achieving greater social impact through community outreach, partnerships, and continued growth in supplier diversity.
• Providing demonstrable community benefits that improve the overall health of our communities by addressing social determinants of health, as well as advancing opportunities for healthcare careers, and providing free and subsidized health services to those in need.

The center will measure success by the following outcomes:

• Create an equitable experience for our patients, our colleagues, and our community members.
• Meet and exceed regulatory expectations for equitable care and outcomes.
• Drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes, research, workforce engagement, community improvement, inclusive leadership.
• Cultivate, grow, and retain a workforce that represents the patients and communities we serve.
• Fulfill our role as an anchor institution, meaningfully rooted in towns and cities across the region.

Meet our Health Equity team

Healthier Communities Start Here

Every day, Hartford HealthCare touches 23,000 lives. See stories about how our programs and partnerships are making an impact.

Neighborhood Health

Our Neighborhood Health initiative is designed to bring more health prevention services and support directly to the people and communities we serve.

Community Benefit

Hartford HealthCare’s multi-million dollar investment in people and the communities they live in.

Community Health Needs Assessment / Community Health Improvement Plan

A systematic approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in Hartford HealthCare’s service areas.

Community Resources

Community partnerships that help providers find community resources for patients.

Supplier Diversity

We value the importance of working with vendors who are truly reflective of our patients and communities. Our Supplier Diversity Program is intentional about the development, growth, and utilization of businesses operated by people from all walks of life. This includes suppliers who are people of color, women, veterans, people identifying as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities.

This is about creating opportunity. It’s about opening our doors and our ledgers to the businesses that are the bedrock of healthy communities.

It’s about creating jobs that enable people to plant deeper roots in our communities – to purchase homes, send their children to good schools, and have access to the high-quality health care that everyone needs and deserves.

It’s about strengthening our healthcare system by building on research showing that diverse teams spark better problem-solving and innovation. We do that through providing business opportunities as well as resources to build your capacity as a business owner.

Learn more about supplier diversity

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Councils

Across our healthcare system, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Councils support our commitment to create an equitable culture of inclusion where our patients, colleagues and communities feel that their differences are respected and valued.

DEIB Councils:

• Increase cultural awareness and improve engagement by embedding diversity, equity and inclusion within daily operations.
• Enhance cultural and linguistic competency to improve patient experience, safety and quality of care and eliminate health disparities.
• Engage colleagues in conversations that provide a safe and welcoming space to collaborate and share ideas to improve experience and support continuous improvement.
• Promote and support a diverse workforce.
• Educate and build awareness around various dimensions of diversity including age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.

Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs):

Colleague Resource Groups bring together colleagues who share similar backgrounds to raise common concerns and advocate for those who historically have not had a voice in leadership decision-making. 

• Black/African American
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Asian-American/Pacific Islander
• LGBTQ+

The Center for Research on Racial Trauma and Community Healing is a one-of-a-kind research center established in 2024. Our aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological and behavioral consequences of discrimination and trauma so we can advance equity and healing through the power of community.

Learn more