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Cone Health Recognized For Work Towards Equity In Care

The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital. Image courtesy Cone Health.

Cone Health in Greensboro has been nationally recognized for its effort to reduce health care inequities. The system is the 2020 recipient of the American Hospital Association's Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award.

The AHA says Cone Health stands out due to its mandatory health equity courses for physicians as well as unconscious bias training.

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Nurse-midwife Walidah Karim-Rhoades. Image courtesy: Walidah Karim-Rhoades

The award also highlights specific work in the field of maternal health. Director of the Center for Women's Healthcare and Maternal Fetal Care at Cone Health, certified nurse-midwife Walidah Karim-Rhoades, says the health care system studied readmission rates from 2016 to 2019 for women who had recently given birth. They found that Black mothers were coming back to the hospital due to high blood pressure at rates four times that of white mothers.

So, they implemented a Meds-to-Beds program among other changes.

“We give women a 30-day supply of medication so they don't have to make the stop with the baby after being discharged," says Karim-Rhoades. "They can just go home with the medication to prevent that barrier and hopefully reduce the readmission rate for that pregnancy.”

Karim-Rhoades says continuing to look at data through a racial lens is crucial for more effective strategies in health equity. 

Bethany is WFDD's editorial director. She joined the staff in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming editorial director, Bethany was assistant news Director, a reporter and associate producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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