Director’s Remarks

Dr. Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA

Director of CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity

Spring is here. Some have described spring as the “season of new beginnings.” Daylight gets longer, the weather gets warmer, plants grow, and flowers bloom. Animals even awaken from their hibernation. Since the winter edition of Health Equity Matters, there has been much change and some new beginnings at CDC, including the establishment of the Office of Health Equity. As part of CDC’s Moving Forward initiative and reorganization, the Office of Health Equity was formed to expand the focus, influence, and impact of CDC’s work to reduce health disparities and health inequities. We are working hard to “stand up” the new office with a sustainable infrastructure, a bold but concrete and actionable strategic plan, and robust partnerships.

Many have asked me how the new Office of Health Equity is different from the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. In brief, the Office of Health Equity has been empowered with functions that will enable greater agency-wide coordination, collaboration, accountability, and integration of health equity into CDC’s science, programs, policies and practices. In addition, the Office of Health Equity will play a critical role in ensuring health equity is embedded in future public health emergency responses, as well as incorporated into the agency’s Core Capabilities.

Working in tandem with the new Executive Governance Board, the Office of Health Equity has an unprecedented opportunity to raise the visibility of what is needed across CDC’s ecosystem to increase our capacity at all levels of the agency to reduce largely preventable health disparities and health inequities. Expectations and enthusiasm are high, and we are organizing internally to take on the many possibilities of the Office of Health Equity with humility and a strong commitment to succeed. We will keep our subscribers posted as we move forward.

This month is National Minority Health Month and this year’s theme is “Better Health through Better Understanding.”  Much of this month’s focus is on health literacy. Healthy People 2023 defines health literacy at two levels – Personal health literacy and Organizational health literacy.

Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

These definitions are a change from the health literacy definition used in Healthy People 2010 and Healthy People 2020: “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” The new definitions:

• Emphasize people’s ability to use health information rather than just understand it
• Focus on the ability to make “well-informed” decisions rather than “appropriate” ones
• Incorporate a public health perspective
• Acknowledge that organizations have a responsibility to address health literacy

We hope you will tap into this year’s theme and gather resources that will enhance both personal and organizational health literacy in your jurisdiction.

We also hope you will find the Spring 2023 edition of Health Equity Matters informative, inspiring, and one that you will share broadly within your professional networks. As always, we provide resources you can use in your own health equity work, we highlight selected health features such as a spotlight on Black maternal mortality, and we provide timely updates on local, national and global health initiatives that are addressing health disparities, among other topics.

In this edition of Health Equity Matters, we honor Dr. Bonnielin Swenor, Director of the Johns Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center, as our Health Equity Champion. Dr. Swenor is a member of CDC’s Health Equity Workgroup, and a passionate advocate for an inclusive system of public health that serves all communities equitably. I have learned so much from her about disability inclusion and anti-ableism. She is a tireless champion for achieving health equity for people with disabilities, and we salute her voice, her career, and the impact she is having in moving forward so many needed changes in our systems of health care and public health to ensure all people have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health. Congratulations, Dr. Swenor!

What I am especially loving about this spring is how often it rains. I planted my first garden of tulips and daffodils and they are blooming – bringing so much beauty to my backyard. May this spring bring new purpose and joy to all of your efforts to advance health equity. Lots of people – even the nation, are counting on us!