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Special Issue 2025
Volume 12 | Issue No. 101
In early 2022, Children's Mercy Research
Institute (CMRI) embarked on a
transformative journey as part of the
Kansas City Health Equity Learning and
Action Network (LAN). The LAN includes
a CEO roundtable and a learning phase
followed by an action phase, girded by
a shared agenda to markedly change
systems, policies, and structures that
perpetuate health inequity based on race
and ethnicity.
The LAN action teams address everything
from birth equity as it relates to Black
maternal and infant health to equitable
measurement of kidney disease acuity,
treatment options, and transplant referrals
for Black patients—to name just two.
Through this collaborative effort, CMRI
worked to address health disparities in
pediatric care across the Kansas City
region.
As a key participant in the LAN, CMRI
leveraged the network's shared resources
to refine its equity-focused practices.
Their efforts emphasized examining data
collection processes to identify systemic
gaps and create actionable solutions
tailored to pediatric care.
By collaborating with other LAN members,
CMRI contributed to a collective mission
to dismantle structural inequities in
health care delivery. This work aligns
with their goal to ensure that all patients
and families receive care rooted in
cultural understanding and equity-driven
outcomes.
Using the LAN to Strengthen Data and
Collaboration
The CMRI's action team's focus was
on improving the accuracy and
completeness of race, ethnicity, and
language (REL) data collection across
their pediatric practices. "Our project
focused on reaching out and connecting
with all 44 of those community practices
and supporting their improvement of
capturing and collecting race, ethnicity,
and language data for their patients and
families," explained Jessi Johnson, director
of equity and diversity at CMRI.
This initiative wasn't just about gathering
numbers; it was about addressing systemic
barriers that prevent equitable pediatric
health care and creating a foundation
for meaningful action. Without accurate
and representative information, disparities
in health outcomes can remain hidden,
leaving underserved populations without
the tailored interventions they need.
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