LEAD Collaborative

AARP supported the design and execution of the Leaders in Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Collaborative, which brought together more than 30 diverse Mid-Atlantic organizations who were all committed to work on at least one aim to address a health disparity at their organization or within their community.

April 21, 2025 · 1 min · 90 words · Paul Mcpherson

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The collaborating organizations reach over 11.5 million people annually.

Reduce onehealth quality disparity.

Reduce onesocial 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.

Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles to promote rapid improvement.

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![Article image](https://aarp.widen.net/content/sd5kwy7xni/jpeg/GettyImages-1308438709.jpg?crop=true&anchor=268,386&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=hg9ney&w=1601&h=920&credit=Getty Images)

text “Addressing Health Care Quality Disparities” below image of Deneen Richmond

“Addressing Health Systems in the Community” text below image of Carol Silver Elliott

text “Addressing Food Insecurity” below image of Lorena de Leon

text “Addressing Hospitals Meeting Patients' Social Needs” below image of Malik Holmes

‘Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation’ text below image of Stephen Youngerman

large group of people outside pose for a photo

smiling worker with large open can with Sysco Classic on label

group of workers at meeting with a large screen in background

people talking at outdoor market

doctor teaching students at a large table

doctor, facing away from camera, looking at a patient examining an insulin pen

2 people standing at indoor event in back of a table with flyers and papers on it

two women outside, in foreground, at event with large tent in background with people in front of large table

concerned doctor facing a woman with her head in her hands at a table

smiling doctor leaning over patient in hospital bed

large group of diverse hospital staff

facilitator and adult students in classroom

woman with compression sleeve on her left arm, shown from the neck down

physical therapist helping man seated on therapy table with his leg

smiling pregnant woman with hand on her belly, looking down

man sitting at table pricking his finger using a glaucometer to test his blood sugar level

smiling woman doctor facing man in hospital bed with her hand on his shoulder

doctor writing on clear board with others looking on in background

A young adult volunteer giving a box of fresh groceries to man

diverse group of older women smiling in group photo

volunteers in blue shirts packing donation boxes with canned food in charity food bank

doctor in front of 2 computer screens

toddler on an exam table in a doctor office

young female doctor examining a small child on exam table as mother looks on

laughing woman sitting next to smiling man

2 women in long dresses and bonnets and a man in pants with suspenders at an outdoor market looking at vegetables

small group of people listening to each other in a circle of chairs

nurse showing man in wheelchair a paper

smiling workers at food bank giving food to customers

girl looking at a plant in hydroponic greenhouse farm

woman watching movie on laptop drinking from a cup

male doctor preparing a small boy’s arm for a vaccination

smiling woman looking at computer screen with headset on