Health disparities impair attainment of, and opportunity to attain, optimal health for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, and other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mark improved health care access as a priority area for the agency and the federal health community – this is evident through CMS’s Framework for Health Equity which strives to identify and remedy systemic barriers to access so that every one of the people CMS serves has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health.Today on Keeping IT Brief, Darryl Roberts, VP of Health Informatics at RELI Group, discusses how the Framework highlights priority areas and efforts that can help address avoidable inequalities and eliminate health and health care disparities – one area of note is the use of data and data analytics. The process of analyzing healthcare data to improve quality of care is a core approach and one that will be essential for future health care efforts. Details found through effective data analytics can be translated to inform public use files, technical documents, clearance processes, publications and more, ultimately helping guide public health policy.  Darryl RobertsVP of Health Informatics at RELI GroupDarryl W. Roberts, PhD, MS, RN, FHIMSS, FAAN, brings more than three decades of diverse healthcare and informatics experience to RELI Group, having demonstrated profound expertise in healthcare quality, informatics, policy and management.Dr. Roberts, a PhD-prepared registered nurse, has an extensive background that encompasses roles ranging from clinical practice, education and research to policy advisory and high-level consultancy. His noteworthy contributions include the development of pioneering quality measures and advancing informatics practices to optimize healthcare outcomes. His past experiences with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have positioned him uniquely to lead RELI Group’s health informatics strategies into the future.RELI GroupBased near Baltimore, Maryland, RELI Group is a leading organization and partner in the federal and SLG arena, supporting health IT initiatives and security missions since 2013.The company collaborates with agencies throughout the government that touch the lives of every American, with goals of improving health, safety and security from coast to coast. Ranging from cybersecurity and data analysis to health informatics and national security, RELI Group is prepared to support various mission-critical operations across the government.