AARP Hearing Center
Leaders in Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Collaborative
Taking on health disparities is work that cannot be done in isolation nor is it the work of just one sector or profession. With this in mind, AARP supported the design and execution of the Leaders in Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Collaborative. The LEAD Collaborative brought together more than 30 diverse organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) who all were committed to work on at least one aim to address a health disparity at their organization or within their community. The collaborating organizations reach over 11.5 million people annually. Their direct services have a significant impact, benefiting more than 680,000 individuals, with over 90% of those served age 50-plus.
Voices from the Collaborative
Collaborative Member Case Studies
Each organization has committed to health equity by aiming to address one of three goals:
Address organizational leadership diversity.
Reduce one health quality disparity.
Reduce one social determinant of health.
The approach is rooted in accountability. Each participating organization identified at least one issue that they wanted to address as part of the LEAD Collaborative. This issue fell under one of the 3 goals. The organization crafted an Aim Statement to outline how they would achieve their goal, and then used Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles to promote rapid improvement. Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles to promote rapid improvement. The case studies below, organized by the 3 goals, reflect the progress as of the fall 2023, though the work goes on – the participating organizations are tireless champions of health equity for all.
Contact Us
For more information on AARP’s health disparities work, contact AARP Thought Leadership at thoughtleadership@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact media@aarp.org.