Group Receives $1.5M Grant To Increase Black Representation On Medical Boards

The grant comes from healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente.

The Black Directors Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA), a healthcare nonprofit organization that brings together board directors, senior executives, and educators to address healthcare disparities affecting Black people, was awarded a $1.5 million grant by Kaiser Permanente to continue that work.

According to a press release, the grant will support BDHEA’s Board Diversification and Inclusion Project, which aims to create diverse hospitals and other healthcare boards.

The press release also states that the three-year grant funding period will significantly impact the organization’s goal of eliminating health disparities in Black communities. This, in collaboration with its alliances with Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and U.S. World News Report, puts BDHEA in a position to advance its model.

According to BDHEA Executive Director Deborah Phillips, “Representation matters, and it is crucial to ensure diverse voices are heard in boardrooms across the healthcare sector. Our work extends beyond representation and invites diverse perspectives and ideas to identify critical health equity solutions.”

Dr. Ronald L. Copeland, Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president and chief Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity officer, echoed Phillips’ statement.

“To achieve health equity, we must commit to working together to make sure everyone has access to high-quality care,” Dr. Copeland said. “Through BDHEA’s efforts, we hope to strengthen and empower community health centers and nonprofit hospitals to reduce, if not eliminate, all preventable and unjust health disparities, with trustees who are steadfast advocates for their communities.”

According to a March 2024 Ernst & White study, healthcare disparities remain a concern despite efforts to create health equity, returning value for patients and industry organizations. The study noted that more work is needed to achieve the goals of increased health equity. According to U.S. News And World Report, Black people make up approximately 12% of board members, which is close to the 14% Black representation in the American population. Their reporting also notes it is skewed toward Black men; they make up 66% of Black board members, while Black women make up 34%.

According to the report’s summary, “While there is evidence of progress, Black representation on healthcare boards has not achieved the critical mass needed to activate the diversity ‘domino effect’ that will ultimately create meaningful value for the communities served by these organizations.”

According to BDHEA Board Chair Caretha Coleman, the grant represents an opportunity to create a pathway for justice in healthcare and medicine.

“Our duty as healthcare board members extends beyond oversight; it’s a commitment to the heart of care,” Coleman said. “This grant empowers our shepherds of health equity to forge a path toward justice, ensuring that those facing the harshest conditions and barriers find high-quality, equitable care.”