The Building Organizational Capacity Assessment to advance Health Equity (BOCA-HE) project is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) effort to integrate health equity processes throughout the department. The Office of Health Equity will work with offices and operational units (OUs) throughout DHHS to assess and establish a baseline of health equity activity capacity, and create a plan for implementation to improve health equity activity scores. For each participating office/OU, the assessment phase takes 4 months and the implementation phase takes 12 months, for a total of 16 months timeline participation in the BOCA project.

The long-term goal is to have 100% (46/46) of DHHS offices/OUs assessments and implementations complete with increased health equity activity scores by FY26. The target goal for FY24 is to have 17% (8/46) of DHHS office/OUs assessments and implementations complete with increased health equity activity scores.

8 (17%) DHHS offices/OUs completed participation in the BOCA-HE project (assessment and implementation) with increased health equity activity scores through the end of FY24.

3 (6%) of these participants completed in February 2024, and the remaining 5 (11%) of participants completed in June 2024.

DHHS office/OUs will continue to complete participation in the BOCA-HE project through the remainder of 2024 and moving forward.