At the outset of 2023, The Joint Commission (TJC) required accredited hospital programs to meet a new leadership and performance standard that addresses health care disparities as a quality and safety priority. In July 2023 this TJC standard (LD.04.03.08)1,2  will be elevated to a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) as NPSG 16: Improve Health Care Equity (NPSG.16.01.01). This NPSG is designed to support nurses and interdisciplinary teams in meeting the challenges of providing equitable care for all patients, regardless of race, ethnicity, or financial, educational, or social status. Events leading to the establishment of health equity as a national priority began in 2003 with a report on inequality in health care by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM; previously known as the Institute of Medicine). This report provided an exhaustive review of health care services and treatment outcomes in the United States and concluded that racial...

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