Health Disparities

Health disparities have the largest impact on the access, quality of care and outcomes overall in many patient populations defined by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, education level, income, disability, geographic location. Many other factors also play a role, including if a patient is in a rural of urban location, distances to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. These factors of inequitable access or healthcare are often directly related to the historical and ongoing unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. This page includes content defining health disparities and efforts to address them.

MGMA supports bipartisan effort to eliminate $100K visa fee for healthcare workers
MGMA says Trump’s immigration policy combined with Congress’s unwillingness to fund additional medical residency positions is a primary driver accelerating the growing U.S. healthcare staffing shortage.
More patients, fewer doctors: Demand keeps climbing as the cardiologist shortage continues
Job growth in cardiology is expected to outpace other healthcare specialties in the years ahead. The demand for new cardiologists is so high, however, that the current shortage is not expected to end anytime soon.
Premature menopause linked to substantial long-term heart risks
Starting menopause before the age of 40 could increase a woman's lifetime risk of coronary heart disease by up to 40%.
How telehealth utilization among heart patients has evolved since the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic created a major shift in how telehealth services were being utilized. Those services were used much more often for some patient populations than others.
Prior authorization may reduce access to important heart failure drugs
Researchers noted that these requirements are more common for Black and Hispanic patients, creating a critical barrier to guideline-recommended care.

The U.S. healthcare system is facing a deepening workforce shortage driven by policy constraints, limited training capacity and immigration barriers—issues that could significantly worsen in the coming years without reforms, according to Anders Gilberg, senior vice president, government affairs at Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), in the above video interview. #MGMA #IMMIGRATION

MGMA supports bipartisan effort to eliminate $100K visa fee for healthcare workers

MGMA says Trump’s immigration policy combined with Congress’s unwillingness to fund additional medical residency positions is a primary driver accelerating the growing U.S. healthcare staffing shortage.

More patients, fewer doctors: Demand keeps climbing as the cardiologist shortage continues

Job growth in cardiology is expected to outpace other healthcare specialties in the years ahead. The demand for new cardiologists is so high, however, that the current shortage is not expected to end anytime soon.

Premature menopause linked to substantial long-term heart risks

Starting menopause before the age of 40 could increase a woman's lifetime risk of coronary heart disease by up to 40%.

Trends in telemedicine utilization from 2019-2024 for all Americans, Americans without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and Americans With ASCVD.

How telehealth utilization among heart patients has evolved since the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created a major shift in how telehealth services were being utilized. Those services were used much more often for some patient populations than others.

Prior authorization may reduce access to important heart failure drugs

Researchers noted that these requirements are more common for Black and Hispanic patients, creating a critical barrier to guideline-recommended care.

Anthony Fletcher, MD, FACC FAHA, FSCAI, president of the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), and an interventional cardiologist at CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas, Little Rock, explains the results of a recent ABC survey looking at the level of awareness among providers and communities in cardiology care deserts in the South. He said there was a poor level of understanding about LDL-C management and Lp(a) awareness among both primary care providers and patients in these underserved areas.

New ABC campaign works to improve care in cardiology deserts

Association of Black Cardiologists President Anthony Fletcher, MD, discusses the group's efforts to educate patients in Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi.

Pope welcomes cardiologists to Vatican City

Pope Leo XIV told interventional cardiologists their work “stands at the crossroads of science, compassion and ethical responsibility.” When they treat patients, he added, they are treating the heart “both physically and metaphorically, bringing relief to those who suffer.”

medicare advantage rural healthcare hospitals

Cardiologists work to eliminate ‘cardiology deserts’ found in many rural communities

The Association of Black Cardiologists hopes to improve widespread disparities in care through the use of patient education, free diagnostic heart screenings and other proven methods.