Sec. 616. Office of Health Equity
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Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300u et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: There is established, in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, an Office of Health Equity, to be headed by a Director, to ensure coordination and collaboration across the programs and activities of the Department of Health and Human Services with respect to ensuring health equity. In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Health Equity shall monitor, track, and make publicly available data on— the disproportionate burden of disease and death among people of color, disaggregated by race, major ethnic group, Tribal affiliation, national origin, primary language use, English proficiency status, immigration status, length of stay in the United States, age, disability, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), incarceration, homelessness, geography, and socioeconomic status; barriers to health, including such barriers relating to income, education, housing, food insecurity (including availability, access, utilization, and stability), employment status, working conditions, and conditions related to the physical environment (including pollutants and population density); barriers to health care access, including— lack of trust and awareness; lack of transportation; geography; hospital and service closures; lack of health care infrastructure and facilities; and lack of health care professional staffing and recruitment; disparities in quality of care received, including discrimination in health care settings and the use of racially biased practice guidelines and algorithms; and disparities in utilization of care.
The Director of the Office of Health Equity shall ensure that the data collection and reporting process under paragraph
(1)allows for the analysis of cross-sectional information on people’s identities. In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Health Equity shall develop, coordinate, and promote policies that enhance health equity, including by— providing recommendations on— cultural competence, implicit bias, and ethics training with respect to health care workers; increasing diversity in the health care workforce; and ensuring sufficient health care professionals and facilities; and ensuring adequate public health funding at the local and State levels to address health disparities. In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Health Equity, in coordination with the Director of the Indian Health Service, shall consult with Indian Tribes and with Urban Indian organizations on data collection, reporting, and implementation of policies. In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Health Equity shall develop and publish an annual report on— statistics collected by the Office; proposed evidence-based solutions to mitigate health inequities; and health care professional staffing levels and access to facilities. In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Health Equity shall— establish and maintain a centralized electronic repository to incorporate data collected across Federal departments and agencies on race, ethnicity, Tribal affiliation, national origin, primary language use, English proficiency status, immigration status, length of stay in the United States, age, disability, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), incarceration, homelessness, geography, and socioeconomic status; and make such data available for public use and analysis. Notwithstanding any other Federal or State law, no Federal or State official or employee or other entity shall disclose, or use, for any law enforcement or immigration purpose, any personally identifiable information (including with respect to an individual’s religious beliefs, practices, or affiliation, national origin, ethnicity, or immigration status) that is collected or maintained pursuant to this section. .
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Sec. 616
Office of Health Equity
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