WellSpan Health created a standardized method to analyze and internally report race, ethnicity and language (REL) data to make disparity analysis meaningful and comparable across system initiatives. 

WellSpan noted that the largest disparity in rates of breast cancer screening was between those who required an interpreter and those who did not. Among those who required an interpreter, Spanish was the most common language spoken. 

To better understand root causes of disparities in rates of screening, WellSpan conducted listening sessions with community groups. It also performed direct outreach to Spanish speakers with a Spanish interpreter who had full access to schedule mammograms, arrange no-cost transportation for patients and connect patients to financial resources.

WellSpan also implemented targeted interventions to promote breast cancer screening among Spanish speaking patients, including EHR-embedded direct scheduling, which allowed clinical staff to schedule patients for mammograms at the point of care. 

The result was a 5.19% increase in breast cancer screening rates for populations of color and a 6.73% increase in colorectal cancer screenings for populations of color.