After funding a three-year study on racial disparities in health care, House budget leaders last week put $1 million that would have addressed study findings on the chopping block.
Funding for a health equity office under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services was one of several spending proposals the House Ways and Means Committee cut from Gov. Deval Patrick's budget.
State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, who served on the commission to End Racial Health Disparities that released the study in August, and others are now pushing to get the project back into the developing $28 billion state budget.
"Certainly it's frustrating not to have the resources to give to so many of the projects that you know are important, but we have this backdrop of the fiscal situation, a $1.3 billion shortfall," he said of the state's budget deficit.
Koutoujian said new programs are more likely to be denied funding, especially in a year when existing programs are also being cut.
State Rep. Byron Rushing, D-Boston, filed a $750,000 budget amendment last week to create the equity office, which would set goals, work with community health agencies and track the progress of disparity initiatives in transportation, housing, education, labor and public safety, all of which affect the health minority populations.
The commission's study found disparities in those areas, and many others, contribute to minorities having higher infant mortality rates and receiving lower quality health care than their white counterparts.
But with lawmakers planning to increase cigarette and business taxes to close the budget gap, no one is sure exactly which, or how many, of the 1,512 budget amendments will make the cut.
"I'm frustrated we can't do more, but I'm heartened by the effort the administration has put in even without this special office," Koutoujian said. "Even $750,000 would be ambitious. Anything to begin the program would be significant."
Dr. Joseph R. Betancourt, director of the Disparities Solutions Center at Mass. General Hospital, said having a state equity office is essential to establishing best practices and coordinating efforts that are already under way around the state.
"We really have an opportunity here to continue our leadership. This office will really be the quarterback for the entire process," said Betancourt, who participated in both the Legislature's study and a similar Boston effort.
The center has hired bilingual coaches, provided transportation, consultation and other services in order to help minorities understand and get treatment for their medical needs, Betancourt said.
"I don't think it's dead yet, in any way," he said of the budget amendment. "I think it's really important for people ... to reach out to their (representatives) and senators. I think there will be a fight going."
Jacob Smith Yang, executive director of Massachusetts Asian and Pacific Islanders for Health, agreed that the office would unite all agencies addressing disparities and would also bring more minorities, like Asians, into the spotlight.
"It would be very helpful in raising awareness not only with health care and social service providers but also even within our own community," he said.
Lindsey Parietti can be reached at lindsey.parietti@cnc.com.
