2023 Scorecard
Health equity is everyone's responsibility at Neighborhood, and we remain laser-focused on creating Equity4All.
Neighborhood is so excited to introduce its commitment to creating equity within the organization and in the communities we serve. We have consciously created guiding equity principles and commitments that influence and drive our daily work. These Neighborhood4Equity principles are intended to create an inclusive environment for our employees and equitable access to quality and cost-effective health care for everyone that calls Rhode Island home. Our four commitments illustrate how Neighborhood puts its principles into action.
While our 4Report outlines our Equity4People|People4Equity vision and strategies, this companion document, 4Report Scorecard, establishes incremental metrics to track progress on individual projects. It’s our hope that this scorecard will capture results of our endeavors for each of the Neighborhood4Equity Principles and associated commitments.
Neighborhood4Equity Principles
Within our organization: Equity4People
We will empower our workforce and sustain our purpose-driven culture. Our goal is to ensure our workplace is always welcoming, there is a sense of shared purpose, and equal opportunity prevails for all.
Within our community: Equity4People
We will collaborate with our Community Health Center founders and network of medical, behavioral health, social service, and public health professionals and policymakers to eliminate barriers to quality care and advocate for improved health outcomes for all.
Our Commitments
- Build a stronger workforce by broadening our diverse and inclusive environment.
- Ensure everyone has a seat and a voice at the table.
- Use data to advocate for equity and achieve measurable impact.
- Accelerate health equity by supporting and working in underserved communities.
We are proud to share with you our achievements and what we are aiming to measure for the next three years. We also invite you to follow our ever-evolving journey at www.nhpri.org.
Within the Workforce:Equity 
People
People
We will empower our workforce and sustain our purpose-driven culture. Our goal is to ensure our workplace is always welcoming, there is a sense of shared purpose, and equal opportunity prevails for all.
Commitment 1: Build a stronger workforce by broadening our diverse and inclusive environment.
2023 Accomplishments
Established an Employee Experience Workgroup
Neighborhood created an Employee Experience (EX) Workgroup to help improve overall workplace engagement and improve key performance indicators, using the results of the 2022 employee opinion survey to inform its creation and direction. Neighborhood also hired a Manager of Employee Experience (EX) in 2023 to oversee the committee’s endeavors.
Launched a mentoring program
Neighborhood’s mentoring program was successfully launched, welcoming more than 50 participants: 39 mentees and 29 mentors in 2023. The organization’s enrollment goal for this program was not only met, but surpassed.
Created a culture of learning to encourage personal development
The People Division team evaluated and tallied all employee training hours. As a result of diversity, equity and inclusion and employee resource group events, there was a total of 5,032 hours of learning. Additionally, the Learning and Development department reported the baseline of learning hours for 2023 was 6,288 hours across the organization. This baseline will now help set incremental increases to encourage development as a pathway to career progression.
Conducted analysis of job descriptions and career postings
Neighborhood proactively conducted an in-depth review of company’s job descriptions and career postings to identify any inequities, and address them as warranted (e.g., credentials, educational background, experiential learning). The organization adopted and began utilizing software to filter and compare job requirements with industry standards with the goal of creating a more inclusive applicant pool. This practice has also led to the elimination of requiring higher education degrees on many job descriptions and ensuring experiential learning is taken into consideration.
Areas of Focus for Next Three Years
2024
Workforce Diversity
- Finalize and implement Neighborhood’s Supplier Diversity program.
Employee Experience
- Implement a pilot cross training program among staff department roles in the People Division to create opportunities to increase talent bench strength and succession planning.
- Increase learning hours by 5% from the 2023 baseline.
2025
Employee Experience
- Formally expand and launch the cross-training program noted in 2024 to include all six of the organizational divisions.
- Increase learning hours by 5% from the baseline identified in the year of 2024.
- Grow employee participation as it relates to Neighborhood’s tuition reimbursement program by 20% compared to that of 2024.
2026
Workforce Diverstiy
- Assess cross training program and alter the program based on one-year results
- Increase learning hours by five percent from the 2025 benchmark.
- Grow employee participation in the tuition reimbursement program by 10% from the baseline established in 2025.
Commitment 2: Ensure everyone has a seat and a voice at the table.
2023 Accomplishments
Increased diversity at the director and above level
Neighborhood saw 52% growth of People of Color in leadership roles from 2022 to 2023.
Maintained and grew participation rate in Employee Resource Group (ERG) membership
Finished the 2023 calendar year with 31% (205 employees) of the organization’s employees participating in an ERG, which are designed to help create an inclusive work environment and assess equity in the workplace.
Areas of Focus for Next Three Years
2024
Employee Experience
- Maintain or increase the baseline of Neighborhood’s 72% inclusivity score based on the Employee Engagement Survey.
Employee Equity
- Perform policy audit to ensure inclusivity for all organizational policies and procedures.
2025
Employee Equity
- Identify and implement educational offerings in two or more languages through asynchronous learning tools, enabling employees to learn on their own schedule within a certain timeframe.
2026
Employee Inclusivity
- Monitor diversity at the director level and above with organizational parity as the goal.
Within our Community:People Equity
Equity
We will collaborate with our Community Health Center founders and network of medical, behavioral health, social service, and public health professionals and policymakers to eliminate barriers to quality care and advocate for improved health outcomes for all.
Commitment 3: Use data to advocate for equity and achieve measurable impact.
2023 Accomplishments
Developed comprehensive plan to achieve Health Equity Accreditation in 2025
Began to execute on initial steps of the organization’s National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation plan. Additionally, an NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Steering Committee comprised of cross functional employee membership was stood up.
Presented project proposals to address health disparities in the areas of maternal health, childhood obesity, and behavioral health.
The Health Equity Committee presented project proposal recommendations with specific measurable goals and objectives to help address sustainable change in the areas of maternal health, childhood obesity, and behavioral health (specifically opioid overdose) to Neighborhood’s Executive Leadership Team.
Areas of Focus for Next Three Years
2024
Health Equity Committee
- Present project proposal recommendations to Neighborhood’s Executive Leadership Team with specific measurable goals and objectives to help address sustainable change in the areas of maternal health, childhood obesity, and behavioral health.
2025
Health Equity Accreditation
- Begin year two of NCQA Health Equity Accreditation work by developing and procuring documentation.
2026
Health Equity Accreditation
- Successfully achieve NCQA Health Equity Accreditation.
Health Equity Committee
- Begin to execute approved and resourced proposal focused on maternal health, childhood obesity, and behavioral health.
Health Equity Committee
- At the end of 2026, Neighborhood will decrease disparities in behavioral health quality measures by at least 5%.
- Neighborhood will decrease disparities in maternal health quality by 50% in the key areas of access to pre-natal and post-partum care, preterm births, and low birth weight by the end of 2026.
Commitment 4: Accelerate health equity by supporting and working in underserved communities.
2023 Accomplishments
Continued to create synergies with community partners
Each year, Neighborhood supports more than 100 organizations that address social determinants of health. The organization will continue to leverage partnerships with state agencies such as the Department of Health, community organizations, Health Equity Zones, and statewide committees such as the Maternal Health Data to Action Committee and Providers, to address health disparities in maternal health, behavioral health and childhood obesity.
Celebrated the official opening of two tennis courts in Central Falls, Rhode Island
Neighborhood, Central Falls leaders and community members, tennis industry leaders, celebrated the official opening of two, new tennis courts in Central Falls, Rhode Island (a core city). The new courts – free lessons and equipment – expose more inner-city youth and families to the sport of tennis, building equity and increasing activity levels. The new courts were made possible through a collaborative effort and from funding by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Neighborhood, the U.S. Tennis Association of New England, the U.S. Tennis Association of Rhode Island, and ARPA dollars allocated by the city.
Areas of Focus for Next Three Years
2024
Community Partnerships
- Determine the way in which Neighborhood’s resources (time, talent and financial) in the community are affecting childhood obesity, racial disparities, in maternal health and behavioral health.
- Develop a program designation for community partners, members and vendors that highlights them as supporters of Neighborhood in its quest to ensure there is health equity in Rhode Island.
2025
Community Partnerships
- Audit organizational investments in the community (time, talent, and finances) and ensure that each aligns with Neighborhoods’ health equity objectives to ensure value and drive results.
- Recognize the first group of health equity partners program.
2026
Community Partnerships
- Recognize second group of health equity community partners.
- Present status report to Neighborhood Board of Directors about the progress of health equity programs.
