The DEI Committee’s workgroup addressing social determinants of health is HEAL. HEAL is working directly with Baltimore City and Baltimore County on their opioid addiction and harm reduction programs. This includes outreach and education to local providers and clinics on how to best support patients and families with opioid addiction; providing Narcan training and kits, providing deactivation bags, including physical therapy screening at county sponsored health fairs and events including COVID-19 vaccine sites.

We are finalizing the tools and trainings for these activities and hope to start them mid summer. Thank you to our HEAL members and to those of you who have volunteered to be a part of these activities. We are truly #BetterTogether.

In addition, HEAL has helped develop a course for the fall conference on implicit bias. This course will explore racial and ethnic disparities in health status, health care, and physical therapy. It will also review social vulnerabilities from these inequities including substance use disorders to treat acute and chronic pain.

All of our DEI workgroups and activities are listed on our web site.  APTAMD members can join any of these meetings and events easily through the contact information noted on the web site.