Strategic Focus Areas
Since 2020, the Foundation's strategic focus areas have reflected our efforts in coverage and care, behavioral health, and structural racism and racial inequities in health.
Using the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, allows us to incorporate the principles of our previous focus area of social equity and health, while affirming an explicit focus on the role of racism in health systems and outcomes.
Our 2024-2026 strategic goals provide flexibility to respond to current issues while continuing the work that is critical to our core mission. Our theory of change explains how our three approaches work together to make progress toward our vision.
Our Focus Areas
Achieving our mission requires a focus on three major aspects of equitable access.
Coverage & Care
All Massachusetts residents have health insurance coverage and access to quality, affordable, and equitable care, especially those in need.
Our Goals
- Maintain and expand health care coverage by increasing, improving, and simplifying the options available.
- Ensure that MassHealth’s policies and programs are structured in a way to best serve its members.
- Coordinate a collaborative process to analyze current health care access challenges and define optimal delivery system of the future.
Structural Racism & Inequities in Health
All Massachusetts residents, regardless of race and ethnicity, experience equitable health care access, quality, and outcomes.
Our Goals
- Partner with leading community organizations leading community organizations focused on health equity to translate ideas into action to promote racial justice and equity in health.
- Invest in people of color-led grassroots organizations to influence equitable health care policy and community-based models to reduce disparities.
- Invest in community and state-wide efforts to reduce racial disparities in perinatal health outcomes in MA.
Behavioral Health
All Massachusetts residents have access to the right type of behavioral health care where and when they need it.
Our Goals
- Advance BH ambulatory care redesign to expand access to community-based care.
- Analyze and test replicable innovative models and policies to expand community-based BH access.
- Identify and advance policies and practices to address BH workforce capacity and diversity challenges.