A principle-based framework for improving health equity in the Champlain region of Ontario, Canada.

The purpose of this column is to present an action-oriented health equity framework derived from Beauchamp and Childress' four ethical principles (ie, autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice) and centred around the specific needs of marginalized and excluded communities of the Champlain region of Ontario. It describes the conceptual underpinnings of the framework, defines its components, and demonstrates how it can be applied. The principle-based health equity framework is a useful tool to reduce health disparities within healthcare organizations; it is designed to promote the incorporation of health equity objectives, strategies, principles, and measurements into healthcare organizations' strategic planning processes and operations.