The Health Disparities Podcast

Across the globe and in the U.S., environmental crises loom large and threaten our most vulnerable populations.  “There's a lot of dying that's happening now, and it's primarily among poor, Black and Brown people,” says Dr. Cherly Holder, who's on a personal mission to inspire clinicians to act on climate change.  Holder explains that a person's health and well-being is directly impacted by the environment they're surrounded by. “In celebrating and recognizing the environment, we recognize that this is how we define humanity, and how we create the environment for us to grow and thrive,” she says. In honor of Earth Day, which is coming up this month, we're dipping into our archives to bring you a conversation with Dr. Cheryl Holder. She's now retired, but at the time this conversation was recorded and produced for the Health Disparities podcast in 2021, Dr. Holder was serving as the Interim Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity and Community Initiatives, and associate professor at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University.  This episode was originally published in 2021 with host Elise Tolbert. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What motivates Joel Bervell, a.k.a. the Medical Mythbuster, to create social media content addressing racial disparities, the hidden history of medicine, and biases in healthcare?  He's seen how it can literally save lives. A year after Bervell posted a video about disparities in pulse oximeters for Black patients, a man reached out to share that during the pandemic, he had reported to the hospital with shortness of breath, a fever and COVID symptoms. The pulse oximeter reported 100% oxygen saturation, so he was told to go home. “But he felt horrible, and he had recently seen my video” showing pulse oximeters can report falsely high oxygen readings in Black patients, Bevell says. “And so he told the doctors.. I want to stay here at the hospital. Is that okay?” The doctors let him stay, and the man ended up crashing the night, ending up in the ICU with intubation. He's grateful he survived, and later reached out to Bervell to say, “because of your video, I felt confident being able to say, ‘I don't know if this is accurate for me, I don't feel well. I want to stay.'” Bervell says this is why he creates videos like these, to help people understand medical issues “so they can feel confident to let their needs be known” to health care providers. Hear more on this story and the latest adventures of the Medical Mythbuster Joel Bervell, who joined Movement Is Life's summit as a closing plenary speaker, and spoke with Board member Dr. Erick Santos for this podcast episode. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Weight bias is pervasive and is one of the most common forms of bias in the U.S.  When it comes to obesity medicine, patients can be their worst critics, says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist, educator, and policy maker at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “They're their worst critics because what they've heard from their doctors, their family members, their peers is that they have failed,” Dr. Stanford says. “My goal is to help them realize that they're not, indeed, a failure. There are options. We can treat  this disease. We do have treatments available.” Dr. Stanford is a national and international sought-after expert in obesity medicine who bridges the intersection of medicine, public health, policy, and disparities. She joins the Health Disparities podcast to discuss weight bias, how that bias causes stress, and the role of stress in obesity. This episode was originally published in 2019 with host Dr. Bonnie Mason Simpson. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It takes a village to find and implement strategies that promote positive health outcomes in communities across the U.S. — and the nation's public health agency is working to promote these innovations. “The best innovations that we've had for humankind have come from these types of collective strategies,” says Dr. Karen Hacker, director of the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This week on the Health Disparities Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Hacker, who shares her insights on healthcare collaboration and bridging community-clinical services to help address social determinants of health, which are linked to chronic diseases that affect 6 in 10 Americans. “The number one focus of our efforts is: How do we support the public health system to really think about strategies that are evidence-based to help their constituents across the nation make the healthiest choices that they can make?” she says. Dr. Hacker joined Movement Is Life's summit and spoke with steering committee member Sarah Hohman for this podcast episode. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Collaboration is the cure: Dr. Vivian Pinn calls for renewed efforts to bring about health equity Speaking at the university where she was the only female and only African American student in her class, and in the auditorium named for her, “Healing Hate” conference keynote speaker Dr. Vivian Pinn reflects on progressing her career during eras of segregation, discrimination, and civil rights.  Pinn says it's important to address the erroneous historical racial stereotypes that have informed contemporary unconscious bias. In working toward health equity, she says interdisciplinary collaboration is critical. “You've got to work together,” Pinn says. “No one person, no one group is responsible for it all. That synergy of collaboration, you can't beat.” She also describes her work at NIH, where she was the inaugural Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health, and explains why it's so important that everyone get involved at the socio-political level. This episode was originally published in 2020 with host Dr. Randall Morgan.  Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Chronic stress from life in an unjust society can have measurable negative impacts on the health of people from marginalized backgrounds.  The concept is known as weathering, and it's the focus of the aptly named book by Arline Geronimus, a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a professor in the school of public health at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Weathering is exacerbated by racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, and can contribute to health disparities, leading to earlier onset of diseases like cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.  Geronimus compares modern-day stressors to the literal predators of the past and urges listeners to come together to explore systemic solutions that can help mitigate the effects of weathering. “We all have to commit to seeing each other, to understanding the differences in our lived experience,” she says, “to seeing that different people have different ‘lions' and ‘tigers' …and figuring out what it is we have to do to change that.” Geronimus joined Movement Is Life's summit and spoke with Board Member Christin Zollicoffer for this podcast episode. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Professor Augustus “Gus” White III didn't just pioneer the understanding of unconscious bias through research methodology during his illustrious career as an orthopedic surgeon. The Harvard Medical School professor and author of “Overcoming” & “Seeing Patients” has also spent a lifetime fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion wherever he has worked, often by emphasizing our common humanity; his use of the term “fellow humans” to start speeches has become legendary. “I think diversity and inclusion is a very important reality ideal to address,” White says. “It has numerous values for institutions, for people who are involved and for making progress in the direction of beginning to eliminate and adjust and correct for and protect our humanity, as well as our ethnic citizenship, if you will.” This episode was originally published in 2019 with host Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason.

Respectful, patient-centered communication can play a huge role in improving health outcomes and helping eliminate health disparities.  In today's episode hosted by Movement Is Life's Conchita Burpee, we explore the critical elements of effective, patient-centered communication. Our guests: Dr. Mauvareen Beverley, an executive-level physician with 20 years of experience advocating for improving patient engagement and cultural competency and the author of the book, “Nine Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Patients”  Dr. Janet Austin, the founder of JSA Chronic Disease Foundation, a national nonprofit aimed at providing resources and support to help people who experience pain due to chronic diseases have a better life. Beverley says effective doctor-patient communication starts with heightened human value for each patient, regardless of their background or circumstances: “Everybody talks about being respectful and this and that, but if you don't value me, you think respect is going to come into your mind or your brain?” Austin shares her personal experience as a lifelong chronic disease patient in explaining how small acts of kindness from healthcare providers can go a long way. “I was having a really rough time just a few months ago, and of course, I'm there to talk with [my internal medicine doctor], and I'm crying,” Austin says. “She actually said, ‘Janet, I'm going to go ahead and book you to come back to see me in three months, I'm just going to make time for me to listen.' And I just… I left so optimistic because someone said that they wanted to listen.”  Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

When it comes to self-care, many people think of taking a break due to exhaustion or burnout. But the acts of self-care that make a real difference go beyond self-soothing, says Ariel Belgrave, an award-winning health and fitness expert, wellness consultant, and the founder of Gym Hooky.  Belgrave challenges people to consider self-care as an investment in their future selves. “The mindset shift I challenge folks to have is: thinking about the future version of you,” Belgrave says. “...The reality is: Taking care of yourself now could be the difference between your independence and being in a nursing home.” This week on the Health Disparities podcast, we revisit a conversation between host Dr. Tamara Huff and Ariel Belgrave debunk self-care myths and explore alternative approaches to prioritizing yourself using the P.A.U.S.E. method. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Over the past two decades, nearly 200 rural hospitals have closed, resulting in millions of Americans losing access to an emergency room, inpatient care, and other hospital services. And today, more than 700 rural hospitals in the U.S. – or approximately 1 in 3 – are at risk of closing due to financial problems, according to a report from the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.  All this comes at a time when rural health disparities are rampant. In the final episode of our rural health series, we consider solutions: What does it take to prevent rural hospital closures? What evidence-based solutions can policymakers consider to ensure all Americans have access to critical health services, regardless of where they live? Health Disparities podcast host Bill Finerfrock speaks with Harold Miller, president and CEO of the Center for Healthcare, Quality and Payment Reform and adjunct professor of public policy and management at Carnegie Mellon University.  Miller says many people assume that when a rural community loses a hospital, it's one of several options, when in reality, “in many small rural communities, the hospital is the only place to get any kind of health care. It is the only place where, not only where there is an emergency department, but because there's no urgent care facility in the community, there's no other place to get a lab test, there may not even be primary care physicians in the community.” When it comes to policy considerations to prevent rural hospital closures, Miller says there need to be a greater emphasis on the role private health insurance plans play in putting hospitals at risk. “The myth, unfortunately, is that the problem of rural hospital payment is all about Medicare and Medicaid, and that has led people to focus, I believe, inappropriately and excessively, on Medicare and Medicaid,” he says, “when what we have found is that the biggest problem for most rural hospitals is private insurance plans who don't pay the rural hospital even as much, in many cases, as Medicare or Medicaid does. … We need to start thinking about how to solve the real problems and to solve them now, rather than waiting until the hospital is faced with closure.” Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In our latest podcast series, we're taking a deep dive on rural health, going beyond the common tropes about rural America – the older, sicker, poorer narrative – and checking in with folks on the ground who are excited to do the work of promoting equitable health outcomes for rural Americans.  Today, Health Disparities podcast host Sarah Hohman talk with two rural health providers: Russell Wimmer is a physician associate practicing in a single provider clinic in the small rural town of Brownsville, Oregon. Dr. Caylor Johnson is a Family Medicine Physician with Medical Specialists, Inc., in Waynesboro, Georgia. Johnson explains some of the unique challenges facing rural communities, which are incredibly diverse. “In my county alone, I have multiple communities, and they each have their own challenges, their own culture, their own history and beliefs,” Johnson says. “And that all comes to the table when they come to the doctor, and I have to be prepared for that.” Wimmer also shares what he loves about providing care in his rural community. “When you walk around, people talk to you and you know them personally, and they know you,” Wimmer said. “They're not ignorant to the fact that you're working with limited resources. They know that they're remote, they know that it's hard for you to sometimes help them with what they need. But the fact that you're there with them every day is not lost on them. They appreciate everything that you've done. They know that you're what they've got.” Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

When we consider what it takes to improve the health of rural Americans and address rural health disparities, there's no one size fits all solution. Because, as the saying goes, if you've seen one rural community, you've seen one rural community.   In our latest podcast series, we are digging into rural health: the challenges, and the opportunities. We're highlighting the diversity of rural communities and addressing common misconceptions..   In today's episode, Health Disparities podcast host Sarah Hohman checks in with three people who work in rural hospital leadership and administration, doing incredibly important work, often with limited resources:   Michael Calhoun, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director for Citizens Memorial Healthcare, an integrated healthcare system serving over 130,000 residents in southwest Missouri.  Mandy Shelast, the  President of Marshfield Clinic Health System's Michigan and Southern Regions, and the President of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics. Dr. John Bartlett, a practicing primary care physician and the Vice President of Medical Affairs for the Michigan Region of Marshfield Clinic.   Some of the biggest challenges are related to the health care workforce and staffing, in particular for specialty care. “If we lose a chemo nurse in a town of 10,000 there's not five other ones looking for that job,” Bartlett says.  “What I'm concerned about is just our aging population and how we're going to be able to train a workforce enough to be able to care for all the people that need it, that's a real concern,” Calhoun says.  All three guests addressed common misconceptions about rural America, and emphasized the benefits of rural, including a slower pace of life and having providers who are passionate about the mission of providing excellent, personalized health care. “The patients that we care for are our friends and our family and our community members,” Shelast says. “We take care of them on the very best days of their life — maybe when they're welcoming a life into the world — and on the worst days, when they're having a medical emergency or they've received a terminal diagnosis, and it is just such a great experience to be able to go up to that person and say, 'I'm here for you.'” Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

People in rural areas have higher rates of certain chronic conditions and disabilities and can expect to live a couple years shorter, on average, compared to people in urban areas. The health disparities facing rural Americans stem from many factors – including geographic, economic, social, and systemic issues.  But in the midst of all this, there is hope. There's greater awareness of the importance of rural health care and public health resources, and a growing number of federal agencies dedicated to supporting data-driven solutions aimed at addressing rural health challenges. Two individuals behind some of those efforts join the Health Disparities podcast to discuss rural health challenges and opportunities: Tom Morris, Associate Administrator for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy at HHS Diane Hall, Director for the Office of Rural Health in CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Center “There's been a lot of focus on access to health care in rural areas, which is absolutely incredibly important,” Hall says. “But I also think we need to really pay attention to the public health infrastructure, which has also been decreased because of budget issues [and] because of the impact of the pandemic.” Addressing rural health needs is a bipartisan issue, says Morris. “There may be disagreements about how you get to the outcome, but there's no disagreement about what the challenges are,” Morris says. “...The partisan divide sort of falls apart when you dive into the issues.” Morris and Hall speak with Health Disparities podcast host Bill Finerfrock about the priorities of their respective offices, common myths about rural America, and what gives them hope as they consider the future of rural health. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell says she's honored to have called John Lewis a colleague, friend and mentor. Lewis, one of the most important civil rights leaders in American history, died in 2020. But his legacy is carried on by health equity champions like Sewell, who has taken up the mantle on legislation that aims to address health disparities in our nation. “The John Lewis Equity in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment Act — it really is an opportunity to reduce health disparities and to evaluate payment models of Medicare and Medicaid that will take social determinants of health into account,” Sewell says. “I really do believe that health disparities is a civil rights issue, and the opportunity to carry on a bill that [John Lewis] championed, now that he's gone, is a real highlight of my career.” Now in her seventh term representing Alabama's 7th Congressional District, Rep. Terri Sewell is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama — and the first Black woman to ever serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation.  She speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Bill Finerfrock about how her personal experiences have led her to the work she's doing today in Congress and also shares these words of encouragement to those working to advance health equity in their communities: “Stay in the trenches, continue to mobilize and organize around these issues and continue to fight… and advocate for what we know is a civil rights issue. It is a human rights issue, health care, and so we can be frustrated, we can be downright mad, but what we can't do is give up.” A note to our listeners: Movement Is Life's upcoming annual summit brings together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss healthy equity challenges and actionable solutions.  This year's theme is: "Health Equity: Solutions from Healthcare Leaders.” The summit will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 14 to 15. Registration is now open – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Americans are on track to need 1 million knee replacements annually by the year 2025. The rate of disability caused by degenerative joint problems is also on a rise. At the same time, rates of physical activity continue to decline, and sedentary lifestyles and obesity are becoming the main cause of diabetes and heart disease.  It's a vicious cycle of pain, immobility, chronic illness, all of which impact underserved populations most. It's why Movement is Life created Operation Change – an evidence-based behavioral change program focused on grassroots community interventions.  Operation Change has programs running in cities across the U.S. In today's episode, Health Disparities podcast host Chiara Rodgers speaks with two people involved in the Operation Change chapter in St. Louis: Dr. Darlene Donegan, program director for Operation Change St Louis Dr. Kiaana Howard, assistant professor of physical therapy and orthopedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis A note to our listeners: Operation Change will be featured at Movement Is Life's upcoming annual summit, which brings together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss healthy equity challenges and actionable solutions.  This year's theme is: "Health Equity: Solutions from Healthcare Leaders.” The summit will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 14 to 15. Registration is now open – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Movement Is Life's annual summit brings together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss healthy equity challenges and actionable solutions.  This year's theme is: "Health Equity: Solutions from Healthcare Leaders.” The summit will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 14 to 15.  Movement Is Life is honored to have Joel Bervell as a plenary speaker at our upcoming 2024 annual summit. Bervell is a Ghanaian American medical student and science communicator known online as the “Medical Mythbuster.” Through viral social media content, Bervell addresses racial disparities, the hidden history of medicine, and biases in healthcare. Bervell says he appreciates Movement Is Life's emphasis on community-based programs, clinician education about health disparities, and health policy. He's excited to attend the summit and meet other like-minded people who are passionate about health equity. “By breaking that cycle of understanding that disparities exist and talking about it, we can start to reach equity,” Bervell says. Bervell speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O'Connor about the 2024 Movement Is Life summit and the exciting slate of hands-on workshops and plenary speakers, including Dr. Arline Geronimus, Dr. Louis Sullivan, and Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. Registration is now open for Movement Is Life's annual summit – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

It takes time, energy and financial resources to bring about change within an organization. Healthcare organizations are no exception.  Health systems that are serious about centering health equity need to put their money where their mouth is, says compliance and DEI consultant Linda Howard. In practice, this means centering equity in both their mission statements and their budgets. “You have to allocate resources. When people start seeing resources being allocated towards things, they start to take it more seriously,” Howard says.  Howard speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Christin Zollicoffer about what it takes to bring about real, lasting change in health systems. They also discuss the possible compliance and legal consequences health systems can face if they fail to address health inequities, and why the investment in health equity is worth it. This episode rounds out our 5-part series on Hospitals & Health Equity. Find previous episodes from this series by subscribing to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Registration is now open for Movement Is Life's annual summit! Find all the details at our website, and get signed up today!

Hospitals and health systems can play a big role in addressing healthcare disparities in our nation. It's the focus of our latest podcast series. Today, we zero in on a statewide health equity initiative that is first of its kind in the nation.  Through a historic 1115 Medicaid waiver, Massachusetts hospitals have made a commitment to come together with the state to embed equity into the foundation of their operations.  “This really does entail an intentionality on the part of our hospital systems that I think is unmatched in many ways — an intentionality and a will and a drive and a desire to do this work," says Izzy Lopes, Vice President of health equity for the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O'Connor speaks with Lopes about the statewide initiative that aims to address healthcare disparities. Lopes explains why it's important to prioritize people over percentages, use data to drive health equity strategies, and collaborate with community partners to address patients' health-related social needs.  Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved groups receive unequal medical treatment, contributing to the myriad disparities in health outcomes that we see today. This notion is supported by a growing body of research stemming back decades. The Joint Commission has recognized the horrible impact of health disparities in America, and the group is taking action, says Kathryn Petrovic, vice president for accreditation and certification product development at the Joint Commission. The accrediting organization launched a new health care equity certification program in 2023 that recognizes hospitals that are “making health care equity a strategic priority, and collaborating with patients, families, caregivers, and external organizations to identify and address needs that help translate equitable health care into better health outcomes,” Petrovic says. Health Disparities podcast host Claudia Zamora speaks with Petrovic to learn more about TJC's health equity initiatives. Petrovic also explains how resolving healthcare disparities is both a moral and ethical requirement, and a fundamental patient safety and quality of care imperative.  Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hospitals and health systems can play a major role in addressing our nation's healthcare disparities in our nation. In our latest episode – part of our hospitals and health equity series – we zero in on hospital rankings and how the metrics that are used can compel health systems to take much-needed action on health equity.  “If hospitals were to focus more on health equity, they would be fulfilling both a moral responsibility as well as a legal responsibility,” says Tavia Binger, a health data analyst at U.S. News and World Report. “Nonprofit hospitals are actually required to spend portions of their revenue on community benefit activities – like providing care that is free or at a reduced cost for patients who can't afford to pay – in exchange for their tax exempt status.” In addition to the latest U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, published on July 16, U.S. News has also introduced health equity measures and has released a list of hospitals excelling in health equity by “providing vulnerable populations with substantial access to high-quality care,” Binger says. Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O'Connor speaks with Binger about how U.S. News and World Report is working to promote health equity. They also discuss how healthcare consumers can use hospital rankings to understand whether the hospitals in their communities are doing their part to provide care that is both high-quality and equitable. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every person brings their own cultural background into their encounters with the healthcare system. But this doesn't mean that every healthcare provider needs to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of every culture in order to provide equitable, high-quality care to every patient. “The truth of the matter is: that could never be done. I'm Puerto Rican, Latino, and even among Puerto Ricans, there's a great difference in lived experience, exposure to health care and the like,” says Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund. But there will be times when a person's cultural background affects their ability to access the health care they need. In those cases, Betancourt says it's important that providers be equipped with the right tools and resources to assess how those cultural factors may come into play. Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O'Connor speaks with Betancourt about the importance of culturally competent care — what it is, and what it's not. They also discuss the need for ongoing training to address cultural differences and structural barriers, and share about recent developments in health policy and health care that give them hope. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming health care. The promise of this technology is enormous and is already being realized to increase the accuracy of diagnoses, promote patient engagement, increase efficiency in health care and lower costs. It's even being used to identify patients at risk of disease and predict patients who might be good candidates for medical procedures.  Done well, AI tools can help ensure patients with the greatest need for orthopedic surgery are prioritized for care, and help reduce health care disparities, says Luke Farrow, an orthopedic and trauma surgeon and clinical researcher at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.  But without proper considerations, “you can ultimately end up with AI systems that worsen those health disparities, which is obviously the last thing we want. And there is definitely evidence out there to suggest that does happen if we're not careful.” Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O'Connor spoke with Farrow about AI and health equity, and about his ongoing research on the use of AI to help general practitioners in the UK know when it is appropriate to refer patients to orthopedic surgeons for consideration of hip and knee replacement surgeries.  Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For too many people in the U.S., health care is unaffordable and not accessible. Even patients who have health insurance coverage can be confronted with barriers that keep them from accessing the health care that they need. And research shows health disparities are rampant, with health care access — and outcomes — worse for people of color and other marginalized groups. The new State of Patient Access report from the PAN Foundation breaks down these disparities and highlights next steps for creating more equitable access to care.  “Our goal with the project was really to understand the challenges that adults living with chronic conditions every single day face accessing the care they need,” says Amy Niles, the PAN Foundation's health policy expert and Chief Mission Officer. “More importantly, our goal was to understand what disparities exist, and there were some significant disparities between various groups and communities.” To learn more about the report, and what can be done to help overcome barriers to care for underserved communities, Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Ramon Jimenez spoke with  Niles, along with Adrianna Nava, president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.

Mental health is an important part of our overall health, but many people confront barriers that keep them from accessing the mental health care they need. A program in Boston aims to  address mental health disparities by disrupting traditional health care models. The Boston Emergency Services Team, or BEST, is led by Dr. David Henderson, chief of psychiatry at Boston Medical Center.  BEST brings together mental health providers, community resources, law enforcement, and the judicial system to deliver care to people in need of mental health services. Henderson says bringing mental health providers alongside police responding to calls for service for mental health needs has helped reduce the number of people with mental illness ending up in jails and prisons. “The criminal justice system has, by default, become one of the largest mental health systems … around the country as well,” Henderson says. “People with mental illness are in jails and prisons, at a percentage that they really should not be.” Henderson speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Hadiya Green about what it takes to ensure people in need of mental health services get the help they need, why it's important to train providers to recognize unconscious biases, and what it means to provide trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has the following message for health equity advocates: forge respectful relationships with people with different viewpoints — and pay close attention to the words you use. “We need to learn to speak in a language that resonates with folks,” Adams says. “When that happens, you will get better policy making.” Adams recounts his experience – both as the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and as the former state health commissioner for Indiana – in an interview with Health Disparities podcast host Claudia Zamora. He also discusses his new book, Crisis and Chaos: Lessons From the Front Lines of the War Against COVID-19, explains why diversity in medicine matters, and talks about the importance of dismantling stigma to increase access to mental health care and addiction treatment.

There's a long history of racism in both education and health care. But some health equity advocates — including Michellene Davis, President and CEO at National Medical Fellowships — are holding onto hope that real change is possible. “The only reason why I like the name, the title ‘social determinants of health,' is because anything that has been socially constructed can be socially deconstructed,” Davis said. “Health disparities do not naturally occur in nature, they have been manmade, right? So now it's time for us to unmake them.”  In this week's episode, host Dr. Tamara Huff speaks with Davis, along with Jennifer Holmes, Senior Counsel with the Legal Defense Fund, who works on cases that advance racial justice in the areas of educational equity, economic justice, and voting rights.

Artificial Intelligence is gaining widespread popularity, but despite the growing number of AI applications, many questions remain about how the technology could affect health disparities — for better or worse. “We know how technology has had a disparate impact and harms on people, and medicine has had disparate impact and harms,” says Bill Jordan, a family and preventive medicine doctor based in New York City. “We need to prepare physicians and future physicians to have these conversations with their patients and be able to explain… what the inequities could be based on, what we've seen in history, and then also what the opportunities are.” This week on the Health Disparities podcast: hosts Dr. Melvin Harrington and Doreen Johnson discuss AI — and its pros and cons pertaining to health equity — with Dr. Jordan, along with Maia Hightower, CEO and co-founder of Equality AI, and Rebecca Stone, the executive director of Generation 7 Industries. Movement is Life, Inc false No

It's important that health care workers provide quality health care. But when it comes to addressing health disparities, clinical care can only go so far, says Dr. Diana E. Ramos, an OB/GYN who now serves as California's first Latina surgeon general.  “It would be wonderful if that 10-minute appointment that a patient just saw me for made the biggest difference in the patient's life. That's not the reality,” Ramos said. “We have to [take] into consideration the environment that the people live in.” Ramos says cross-collaborative partnerships between health care providers and community partners are critical to addressing health disparities. In the latest episode of the Health Disparities podcast, host Dr. Claudia Zamora speaks with Dr. Ramos about what these kinds of cross-collaborative partnerships can look like, and what it takes to improve the health and wellbeing of people in California – and the nation.

Many envision influencers as social media stars with vast followings. But being an influencer is so much more than that. In today's episode, we redefine the term across various sectors, from health to social justice, and delve into how you can activate your network by using your influence. One thing influencers do is share information throughout their communities to spread awareness about important issues, says Beth O'Connor, the executive director of the Virginia Rural Health Association,  “People want to know more,” O'Connor says. “And people who are often in those mineral age groups are thrilled to be able to share that information with the people in their communities helping to influence health care policy.” This week on the Health Disparities podcast, hosts Sharon LaSure-Roy and Sarah Hohman discuss strategies for being an influencer and making a difference with O'Connor, along with Taelor Bakewell, vice president of influence marketing with Edelman, Jerail Fennell, director of marketing and communications at 904WARD, and Dr. Maria Portela Martinez, chief of family medicine at the department of emergency medicine with George Washington Medical Faculty Associates.

Nonprofit organizations rely on funding to execute their mission, but steady funding is not always easy to come by. So, what can leaders of nonprofits do to attract attention — and resources — from foundations and corporations with money to give? Many funders want to understand an organization's impact — and quantifying and conveying that impact can take many forms, says Velma Monteiro-Tribble, former director of grants and programs for the Florida Blue Foundation. “People think that there is money lying around; money is tighter today,” she said. “And people are looking at those that really can tell the story... Quantifying, to me, doesn't mean that it's always in data and statistics. It's also through storytelling. And I think that organizations, nonprofits especially, should be in the business of doing that today.” This week on the Health Disparities podcast, hosts Rev. Willis Steele and Dr. Erick Santos join Monterio-Tribble and Al Reid, the former VP of corporate development with Abbott Laboratories. Together, they delve into valuable insights and strategies for attracting funders during challenging times.

In a nation where healthy choices often take a back seat, Dr. Marc Watkins, chief medical officer at Kroger Health, advocates a transformative shift: viewing food as medicine.   Watkins is spearheading a mission to eradicate food insecurities, paving the way for a healthier America.    “If we're going to change the way America eats, we have to lead around making sure we have a variety of foods in our stores that represents an adequate format of foods that makes sense for Americans to purchase at the right price,” Watkins says.  This week on the Health Disparities podcast, host Dr. Mary O'Connor and special guest Marc Watkins, M.D., discuss the strategy Kroger Health is using to empower customers to make informed and health-conscious choices at the grocery store.

When it comes to self-care, many people think of taking a break due to exhaustion or burnout. But the acts of self-care that make a real difference go beyond self-soothing, says Ariel Belgrave, an award-winning health and fitness expert, wellness consultant, and the founder of Gym Hooky.  Belgrave challenges people to consider self-care as an investment in their future selves. “The mindset shift I challenge folks to have is: thinking about the future version of you,” Belgrave says. “...The reality is: Taking care of yourself now could be the difference between your independence and being in a nursing home.” This week on the Health Disparities podcast, host Dr. Tamara Huff and Ariel Belgrave debunk self-care myths and explore alternative approaches to prioritizing yourself using the P.A.U.S.E. method.

Many people who go into medicine come from well-off families and don't know what it's like to live in poverty. So when they graduate and become physicians, they can struggle to understand why their therapeutic interventions aren't improving the lives of their patients. This, according to Dr. Pedro José Greer Jr., is because med schools have not done a great job helping their students understand the social determinants of health — the many nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. “It's not for the student physician to be able to resolve the social determinants, it's for them to really understand what they are,” Greer said. “Without understanding all these other things, we're not going to make [the] right therapeutic calls. “The health outcomes in this country are embarrassingly bad,” he added. “So we have to be driven to improve those disparities.” Greer is an American physician of Cuban descent and founding dean of the Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Medicine. He spoke with Health Disparities podcast host Claudia Zamora about how to improve medical education, why diversity matters, and why it's critical that med schools train doctors to show compassion and empathy for their patients. The conversation was recorded in person at the 2023 Movement Is Life annual Health Equity Summit.

Movement is important for a person's health and well-being. The good news is: many activities that promote movement come with enormous benefits that extend beyond physical health.  Today's discussion features the founders of two organizations that aim to promote physical activity — and build community while doing it.  Walk with a Doc began in 2005 after Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, invited his patients to go for a walk with him in a local park. The program has since spread to more than 500 locations. Semilla Cultural, founded by Isha M. Renta López, is a non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C., area that promotes the development and cultivation of a community that embraces Puerto Rican culture and arts, including by teaching and performing the Puerto Rican musical genre of Bomba. Sabgir and López spoke with Health Disparities podcast hosts Dr. Hadiya Green and Christin Zollicoffer. This conversation was recorded in person at the 2023 Movement Is Life annual Health Equity Summit.

David Ansell's book “The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills” was first published in 2017. In a foreword for the book updated in 2020, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wrote that “Three years before the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. David Ansell published The Death Gap, brilliantly synthesizing what he experienced in decades of practicing medicine in two utterly different medical worlds that were mere blocks apart. What makes this book so compelling is that rather than focusing exclusively on data and statistics, Dr. Ansell makes these gruesome numbers real. He tells the story of the disparities through the real-life experiences of patients with whom he had deep, committed relationships.”  In today's discussion Dr. Ansell reflects on the collision between the ongoing epidemic of social and structural determinants of health, and the pandemic of COVID-19. He also shares recommendations for ways that healthcare providers can bring together quality, safety and equity in medicine.  David A. Ansell, MD, MPH, is Senior Vice President for Community Health Equity for Rush University Medical Center and Associate Provost for Community Affairs for Rush University System for Health, Chicago.  Dr. Carla Harwell is Medical Director, University Hospitals Otis Moss Jr. Health Center; Associate Professor of Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine; and Vice Chair for the Board of Directors at Movement is Life.  (c) Movement is Life 2023

Can equitable real estate development organization Parity help solve Baltimore's empty housing problem and build Black wealth? Founder Bree Jones and her backers are making it happen. According to a profile in Baltimore Magazine, Bree Jones counts herself among a generation of young Black Americans who are being spurred to activism by high-profile killings of unarmed Black people. These are people who demand accountability on issues involving race, violence, and equality in the U.S. For Bree Jones, a central solution is revitalizing neighborhoods – without gentrification. Her organization, Parity, a non-profit equitable real estate development company, is working in Baltimore to do just that. Visit https://www.parityhomes.com/ for more information.  In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, Bree Jones tells the story of Parity, and discusses why building Black wealth and impacting social determinants is so important to health, and why so many high profile investors are getting behind the initiative.  With host Dr. Michelle Leak, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida,  and member of the board of directors for Movement is Life.  The Health Disparities Podcast is a program of Movement is Life. This episode was recorded live and in person at Movement is Life's annual health equity summit. The theme this year was “Bridging the Health Equity Gap in Vulnerable Communities.” (c) Movement is Life 2023  

Our guests are health equity practitioners Christin Zollicoffer and Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason, who discuss programs and initiatives that are making headway in dismantling structural racism with episode host Claudia Zamora. Together they explore a number of different examples and critical success factors that contribute to success, and mention some common mistakes that organizations may make when establishing initiatives. This is the fourth and final episode in our mini-series focused on systemic bias and systemic racism, and we end with constructive forward steps and an optimistic outlook.  Christin Zollicoffer is Chief Belonging and Equity Officer at Lifespan Health System. Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason is the inaugural Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the American College of Surgeons. Claudia Zamora is a consultant who serves on the Board of Directors for the National Hispanic Medical Association and the Board of Directors for Movement is Life. 0:01 Excepts | 2:30 Introductions |5:30 Dr. Simpson Mason shares solution examples | 6:30 Different levels of experiencing oppression | 7:20 Increasing access via Nth Dimensions pathway programs | 9:30 Equity Matters ACGME | 10:45 Medical specialty societies education & communication | 11:45 Christin Zollicoffer shares solution examples | 12:15 Four levels of racism: internalized, interpersonal, institutional, structural | 12:15 Baking in DEI for patients & employees | 15:00 Employee resource groups role | 15:30 Workforce education and skills building | 16:30 Integration of equity practices | 20:15 Community based program Operation Change | 24:00 Importance of trauma informed lens | 29:00 Equity as the 6th domain of care (IOM) | 31:30 Addressing data collection to support equity | 34:00 Claudia Zamora shares examples including NHMA programs | 37:30 Critical success factors for programs e.g. change management & working with the “moveable middle” | 40:10 Definition of equity | 42:15 Common mistakes e.g. tokenism & placing DEI under HR | 46:00 Speaking the language of health equity | 49:00 Are things changing?    © Movement is Life 2023

For the third installment of our mini-series exploring systemic bias and racism in healthcare, our panel of experts discuss various examples which illustrate how systemic racism is embedded in systems of healthcare and social determinants of health. These include measurements such as eGFR, BMI, and metabolic panels, scoring for post-operative risk; lack of diversity in dermatology textbooks; and how subjective information that is potentially deleterious to patients may be captured in EMR systems such as EPIC.  Episode host Christin Zollicoffer (she/her pronouns) serves as Chief Belonging and Equity Officer with Lifespan Health System, an academic medical center affiliated with Brown University and Warren Alpert Medical School. Dr. Carla Harwell is a nationally recognized leader in health care disparities education and medical issues affecting minorities. She is Medical Director, University Hospitals Otis Moss Jr. Health Center, and Associate Professor of Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine.  Dr. Daniel Wiznia is Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine. He is the co-director of Yale's master's program in Personalized Medicine & Applied Engineering.   © Movement is Life 2023

For the second episode in our mini-series exploring systemic racism in healthcare, our panel explores different definitions of bias, stereotyping, systemic racism, and structural racism, and how these behaviors intersect with social determinants of health. Perspectives from both patient and professional viewpoints are addressed. The panel also discuss solutions such as bias training, cultural competency, language competency, self-reflection and mentoring. Dr. Melvyn Harrington is an orthopedic surgeon and Vice Chair for Community Engagement & Health Equity at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Elena Rios serves as President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, (NHMA), representing 50,000 Hispanic physicians in the United States.  Episode host Dr. Charla Johnson is the Director of Clinical Information Systems & Nursing Informatics, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, in Baton Rouge. 0:20 Introductions | 1:55 How patients experience & express bias | 4:45 Harmful stereotyping | 6:40 Bias in medical record | 8:20 Bias as gatekeeper to college admissions & healthcare careers | 10:05 Systemic factors for healthcare workforce | 11:30 Bias steering students away from premed | 12:30 Importance of bias training | 14:40 Resistance towards bias training | 17:10 Differences between structural racism & systemic racism | 21:10 Role of social determinants of health (SDOH) | 24:05 Bias towards people with obesity | 26:10 Bias leading to inconsistencies and inequities | 27:50 Importance of self-reflection | 28:50 Bias causing patients to disengage | 29:30 Importance of cultural and language competency | 30:15 Role of age bias | 30:45 Bias toward minority healthcare professionals | 34:25 Do professionals & patients understand structural and systemic racism? | 37:10 How NHMA works to educate professionals & patients about bias | 41:00 Closing remarks. © Movement is Life 2023

This is the first of a 4 episode mini-series of The Health Disparities Podcast exploring bias & systemic racism in medicine. The series aims to bring to the surface discussions, definitions, & perspectives about the problem of bias, examples of bias, structural & systemic racism, & examples of programs and policies that are tackling bias & racism. "Unconscious Bias, Yes it is Real" is a useful short guide to understanding unconscious bias, its consequences in healthcare, & some ways to mitigate unconscious bias. It discusses most types of bias impacting the quality of healthcare, including race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexuality, religion, mental health, & weight bias. The "Unconscious Bias, Yes it is Real" booklet is available as a digital download on our website. Movement is Life invites listeners to use the booklet in association with this audio resource as the basis for workshops and discussion groups aimed at improving cultural sensitivity & understanding. 1:35 Introduction – We are all biased | 3:25 What is bias? | 5:30 Types of bias | 8:02 Unconscious or implicit biases | 9:55 Unconscious bias in healthcare | 13:40 Unconscious bias involving weight | 16:12 Unconscious bias involving mental health | 18:20 Unconscious bias involving race & ethnicity | 23:10 Unconscious bias involving gender & gender identity | 28:35 Unconscious bias involving sexual orientation | 30:35 Limitations in research | 32:18 How patients respond to bias | 36:30 Measuring unconscious bias using IAT | 41:50 Counteracting bias in healthcare | 44:30 The LEARN model | 46:00 Glossary | 50:30 Closing comments Unconscious Bias, Yes it Real - Digital Booklet: http://startmovingstartliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Unconscious_Bias_Content_03_print.pdf About Movement is Life www.https://www.movementislifesummit.org/website.orghttps://www.movementislifesummit.org/website/56162/about-movement-is-life/ Narration by Dr. Michelle Leak & Rolf Taylor. Adapted for audio from the booklet & produced by Rolf Taylor.  (c) Movement is Life 2023        

The Movement is Life Annual Summit is fast approaching, and thanks to philanthropic support from the Zimmer Biomet Foundation, there is no cost to register. Over two days (Nov 30 - Dec 01) a mix of plenary sessions and workshops will feature a stellar lineup of health equity thought leaders at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown, Washington, DC. Online registration: https://www.movementislifesummit.org/website/56162/program/ or Google Movement is Life Summit.  In our 150th episode of the Health Disparities Podcast, Dr. Michelle Leak hosts a discussion about Summit highlights, exploring the theme of  "Bridging the Health Equity Gap in Vulnerable Communities." Joining Dr. Leak are Movement is Life Chair, Dr. Mary O'Connor, and Vice-Chair Dr. Carla Harwell. Attendees can hear a sneak preview of the program and also consider which two of the four workshops they will want to attend.  We hope to see you at the Summit, but if you can't make it there is a plan B, as many of the Summit speakers will be joining us on the The Health Disparities Podcast after the event.  (c) Movement is Life 2023.  *please note this schedule is not final and is subject to change*  

Very few physicians can name Dr. LaSalle Leffall and Dr. Clive Callender as pivotal mentors in their career, and also cite their experiences growing up with sickle cell as another important teacher. In a wide ranging discussion with fellow surgeon and Howard University alum Dr. Randall Morgan, Dr. Frederick explores some of the most important aspects of mentorship. He also discusses developing young leaders in science, the ongoing evolution of Howard University, and the challenges of building a diverse healthcare workforce that is better able to meet the needs of a diverse population. Dr. Frederick also talks about why his frequent visits to Trinidad to teach science are so important to him, and how he will enjoy his upcoming sabbatical. Recorded at the recent National Medical Association annual meeting in New Orleans.  Dr. Wayne Alix Ian Frederick is a Trinidadian-American scholar, surgeon, and university administrator. He is currently serving as president of Howard University in Washington D.C. since July 21, 2014. He also serves as the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery. Dr. Randall Morgan is an orthopedic surgeon based in Sarasota Florida, and the Executive Director of the W. Montague Cobb Institute. He also serves on the steering group of Movement is Life. 

Michaele Turnage Young, Senior Counsel at NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), joins orthopedic surgeon Tamara Huff, MD, MBA, to discuss the recent SCOTUS ruling on the Fourteenth  Amendment which has impacted affirmative action. According to the Legal Defense Fund, "the Supreme Court has bowed to pressure from anti-civil rights activists, finding that Harvard and the University of North Carolina's affirmative action programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This radical decision comes at a time when efforts to advance opportunity in education have been under attack across the country, and the need for such programs remains acute." Although the ruling is widely considered as a barrier to DEI efforts, Michaele Turnage Young shares an optimistic analysis of the ruling with Dr Huff. She outlines the many areas of DEI activity that the ruling does not affect, and discusses strategies which admissions officers can adopt. Central to this approach is supporting the mission of the many institutions aiming to address health disparities in underserved communities, where lived experience is a key qualification.  For further information on LDF please visit: www.naacpldf.org & www.defenddiversity.org © Movement is Life Inc., 2023 Excerpts:  “It's really important to understand what this ruling does and does not cover.” “It seems to be a coordinated effort to cause a chilling effect, to lead people to retreat from efforts to further equal opportunity. These efforts have not been successful thus far.” “Black students were 13% of US high school graduates, but only 6 % of students enrolled in large selective public colleges, while white students were 50% of US high school graduates and 56% of students enrolled in large selective public colleges.” (2020-2021 academic year). “If you are charged with looking for talent, you want to do so in an objective way that serves your mission, and it might be that the mission of your school has something to do with serving communities that have long gone underserved.”    

When the supreme court struck down race-conscious admissions this year, they ended policies of affirmative action that have helped to diversify college campuses since 1978. The ruling is considered detrimental to efforts to cultivate a representative healthcare workforce. At this year's annual National Medical Association scientific assembly in New Orleans, Dr. Ruth Simmons was the keynote speaker at a symposium organized by the Cobb Institute, in association with Movement is Life (1). In this episode she explores the implications of the SCOTUS ruling with Dr. Tammy Huff, a board director for Movement is Life and an orthopedic surgeon. In 1995, Dr. Simmons became the first African American woman to head a major college or university upon being named president of Smith College. Here, she established the first engineering program at a woman's college. In 2001 she was selected president of Brown University, making her the first African American woman to head an Ivy League institution. She was later appointed President of Prairie View A&M University, the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state of Texas. Most recently she joined Rice University, in her home state of Texas, as a President's Distinguished Fellow, and is an advisor on HBCU engagement to Harvard University. (1) “From Hopwood to Harvard: Anti-Affirmative Action in Higher Education Admissions Amidst Systemic Racism and Historical Racial Inequities in Health.” © 2023 Movement is Life, Inc. Host:           Dr. Tamara Huff, Vigeo Orthopedics  Production:          Rolf Taylor, Project Advocacy Executive Producer:     Dr. Randall Morgan, Cobb Institute  Excerpts: “Merit has often been defined in the past in a political context. We cannot give so much credit to assertions of merit that are fundamentally rooted in something that is corrupt.” “I want us to begin to talk about human worth in different terms, and not these, I would say, lazy ways of classifying people.” “Seeing yourself as worthy of healthcare, seeing yourself as worthy of education, seeing your family and your children as worthy of something better – is powerful.”

From COVID to Katrina to soaring temperatures, when disasters strike it is our most vulnerable communities that are on the emergency frontline, and it's our underserved populations who experience the most disproportionate impact – and widening health disparities. The mission of Healthcare Ready  is to help build resilient community health infrastructure that is prepared for, can respond to, and able to recover from disasters and disease outbreaks. One of their specific goals is to ensure historically underserved communities and medically fragile populations can access medications and medical care during a pandemic or natural disaster. In this episode, Healthcare Ready's Executive Director Tom Cotter shares some of the ways that the organization goes about helping to prepare communities for disasters, and how these approaches target the drivers for better health equity. With host Rolf Taylor. © Movement is Life 2023

Research findings from Mayo Clinic & published in the Journal of the American Heart Association at the end of 2022 found that “participating in religious activities, from church services to private prayer, as well as holding deep spiritual beliefs, are linked to better cardiovascular health among Black Americans.” According to Dr Brewer of the Mayo Clinic, multiple socially determined challenges which were magnified by COVID-19 are preventing African Americans from living their best lives by following a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease. The recent study focused on better understanding some of the psychosocial influences on health behavior change among African Americans, and in particular following those activities as defined by The American Heart Association's “Life's Essential 8TM.” These include eating well, being active, quitting tobacco, healthy sleep, weight management, controlling cholesterol, managing blood sugar, & managing blood pressure.  The study found that increased church attendance and spirituality was associated with higher levels of physical activity and less smoking, suggesting that having social support and an optimistic outlook may also encourage individuals to practice healthy behaviors. Today's discussion features Robert “Clarence” Jones, M. Ed., CPH, CHW, CPE, Executive Director at the Hue-MAN Partnership and a Community Engagement Strategist, along with Mayo Clinic cardiologist and study lead author Dr. LaPrincess Brewer, MD, MPH, whose primary research focus is in developing strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate cardiovascular disease health disparities in racial and ethnic minority populations and in underserved communities. Dr. Brewer is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic. This episode is hosted by Dr. Mary O'Connor, Chair of Movement is Life and Co-Founder of Vori Health. Copyright Movement is Life 2023

In a recent white paper, “Normalize DEI in Your Organization,” professors at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business discuss common barriers to real progress in DEI, and offer evidence-based steps that can help transform DEI efforts from siloed side-projects to core systems embraced throughout an organization's culture and practices. For this episode of the podcast, one of the authors, a UVA Professor, explores the findings of the white paper with two surgeons, one of whom is her father. Together they discuss the importance of inter-generational change, "positive weirdness" and some unique aspects of DEI in healthcare. The white paper references the following framework: Five barriers and pathways to DEI    1) The Identity Regulation Barrier, 2) The Authority Barrier, 3) The Things Are Working Well for Me Barrier, 4) The Inertia Barrier, 5) The Motivation Barrier. Five pathways to DEI    1) Build a More Inclusive Hiring Process, 2) Design for Intelligent Inclusion, 3) Enable Mindful Conversations, 4) Empower Mentorship and Sponsorship, 5) Leverage Identity.  Featuring Professor Laura Morgan Roberts, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Darden Business School, & CEO and Founder, The Alignment Quest Enterprise, LLC; Randall C. Morgan, Jr., M.D., M.B.A., Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Florida State School of Medicine, President & CEO, Cobb Institute; and episode host Mary O'Connor, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Vori Health, & Chair, Movement is Life.  “Normalize DEI in Your Organization” (link to article & White Paper): https://news.darden.virginia.edu/2022/09/02/new-white-paper-normalize-dei/  "Positive Organizing in a Global Society" https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Organizing-Global-Society-Roberts/dp/1848725760     Excerpts  “Practice expressing your positive weirdness. It gives others permission to bring out their weird. Differences are assets and resources for organizations, not problems to be solved.” “Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the corporate world remain a vortex of passion, malaise, hope and cynicism, despite overwhelming evidence that diverse and inclusive workplaces simply perform better.”   “DEI does not often generate the short-term benefits that people would like to see. It requires a long-term, sustained, and often inter-generational investment for us to see those returns.”   “A perpetual learning environment should be a goal of any organization that really wants to make an advance with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion.” “We need diversity in thought, and diversity in culture and background, because people bring their life experiences into that filtering process. That all matters if we are going to make good decisions, especially in healthcare, with how we take care of people.” © Copyright 2023 Movement is Life Inc. Host: Mary O'Connor, MD Research & Production: Rolf Taylor 

Value-based care has emerged as an alternative and potential replacement for traditional fee-for-service reimbursement, centering quality and outcomes rather than quantity. That is the theory. In practice, value-based care has been shown to exacerbate some disparities in the healthcare system by making it harder for those patients with complex conditions, or being impacted by social determinants of health, to access care. Put simply, if some categories of patient are more financially risky than others to treat, providers may find ways to exclude them – unless checks and balances are put in place to help manage risks associated with SDOH and comorbid conditions. Health policy expert Matt Reiter hosts a discussion featuring Bill Finerfrock from Capitol Associates, and Tom Dorney from The Root Cause Coaltion. Together they discuss the very real danger of widening health disparities resulting from the expansion of value-based care, and the legislative solution proposed by the John Lewis EMMT Act (Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment) which has been reintroduced in 2023 by Rep. Teri Sewell and Sen. Cory Booker. All organizations advocating for health equity are encouraged to help advance the legislation by writing letters of support (template below) to Matt Reiter reiterm@capitolassociates.com who will coordinate their forwarding to Representative Sewell and Senator Booker.   ------------------------------ LETTER OF SUPPORT TEMPLATE  Dear Representative Sewell & Senator Booker,  I am writing in support of S.1296/H.R.3069, the John Lewis Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment (EMMT) Act of 2023. The EMMT Act would require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to include experts in health disparities and social determinants of health as part of the evaluation and review process for new payment models. If enacted, this bill would also require fairness of these new payment methods for women, high-risk patients, patients from racial or ethnic minorities, or patients from rural communities. Lastly, it directs CMMI to develop and test a payment model that is tailored to addressing social determinants of health. While quality and cost are important considerations, equal consideration should be given to the impact a proposed model may have on access to care for women, minorities and beneficiaries residing in rural areas. CMMI is under no statutory obligation to account for social determinants of health when considering new payment models. Indeed, the only factors CMMI must consider when determining whether to approve a new payment model are quality and cost. Because Medicare is the single largest health care payer in the country, and many commercial insurance plans will adopt policies based on Medicare, Congress must ensure that the models approved by CMMI incentivize reductions in minority and rural health disparities and not create barriers to care. We appreciate all that this CMS Administration has done to advance health equity. Passing the EMMT Act will ensure that all new models account for social determinants of health and how the models impact minority and rural populations. Your leadership on eliminating health disparities for women, minorities and beneficiaries residing in rural areas is deeply appreciated. I applaud your leadership on this important bill. The EMMT Act will go a long way towards improving access to quality healthcare for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. On behalf or our organization:  Sincerely, ------------------------------ Health Disparities Podcast Episode 143 (c) Movement is Life 2023

One of the recurring themes linked to healthcare in the United States is that where the need is greatest, there you are likely to find the fewest resources needed for resilience to challenges. This is particularly true during a disaster, be it pandemic, hurricane or economic downturn. A year into the COVID pandemic, the St. Bernard safety-net hospital in the South Side of Chicago received an “F” grade on its safety report. Already under disproportionate strain, the management team needed to implement a turnaround. Deploying the Just Culture model and collaborative change principles, the team fostered adoption of improved practices and documentation, resulting in a “B” rating in 2022, and at the time of publishing this episode in May, 2023, St. Bernard Hospital has now scored an “A” Grade. For this episode of the podcast, three members of the team that led those changes share their experiences with our host and Movement is Life Chair, Dr. Mary O'Connor. Featuring Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daria Terrell MD, Medical Director of Clinical Programming and Health Outcomes, and President of Medical Staff; Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vietta L. Johnson, MD; and Michael Richardson, RN, Chief Clinical, Quality & Patient Safety Officer. © Movement is Life 2023

Dr. April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, is president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP). She has 30 years of experience in health care and 18 years as an acute care nurse practitioner (NP). Dr. Kapu has committed her career to advancing NP-delivered care and increasing access to NP care across all settings. Currently, she is Associate Dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, with oversight for several nurse-led community practices. In todays episode, which is hosted by NP and rural health expert Mary Behrens, FNP, FAANP, we hear about Dr. Kapu's  experiences of meeting NPs across the country during her year of presidency. NP Behrens and Dr. Kapu also discuss some of the reasons why being an NP is now widely considered to be one of the most rewarding careers in healthcare, and explore the importance of building diversity in the profession. This year marks the 102nd birthday of NP founder and advanced practice expert, Dr. Loretta Ford. Dr. Kapu discusses her accomplishments, her commitment to health equity, and the continued mission to make sure healthcare is accessible to everyone, everywhere.  Copyright: Movement is Life, Inc, 2023 

Carol Redmond Naughton, JD, shares with us some aspects of the proven Purpose Built Communities model, working with local leaders to help them plan, implement, and sustain holistic neighborhood revitalization initiatives that create healthy neighborhoods which include broad, deep, and permanent pathways to prosperity for low-income families. During the discussion she describes the essential role of “community quarterbacks,” and calls upon listeners to look with open eyes and think about the systems that have kept people trapped in poverty, particularly Black and Brown people, and to not blame the victims. Carol believes that we need to recognize that the systems have been broken for so long that they have “broken the place,” but the people remain unbroken.  So, when we think about building communities of purpose for children with unlimited human potential, we can find ways to create great places with a “cradle to college pipeline,” and we can change the systems to make it easier to create other great places. With host Dr. Tamara Huff, MD, MBA, Founder and CEO of Vigeo Orthopedics, in Columbus, Georgia, and member of www.movementislifecaucus.com for transcripts of this and other episodes. Excerpts The secret sauce is creating a community quarterback organization. You have got to have an organization that isn't in the service delivery business, but is thinking about how after the residents have created their vision for the community, how do they implement it? Thinking about how to work with public, private and non-profit partners to actually do the housing, to build the education pipeline, and create those health and wellness amenities. I love Columbia Parc and I am so proud of what the district partners have been able to do since hurricane Katrina. These were three business leaders that really did not know anything about community development at the time, but our mutual connections suggested they to go to see East Lake in Atlanta and learn how it could be the model for the rebuild of New Orleans. We spent two days together and they came home committed to trying to do what nobody had been able to do in New Orleans before. Our network members really encouraged us to elevate economic vitality within our model. Poverty is expensive, if you don't live within walking distance of a grocery store you will be paying higher prices at the convenience store, if you don't have a car you will be paying a driver or paying with time on a two hour bus journey. My call to action is to look with open eyes, and think about the systems that have kept people trapped in poverty, particularly Black and Brown people, and to not blame the victims. Recognize that the systems have been broken so long that they have broken the place, but the people are not broken, and if we come at it thinking about how we are building communities for children of God with unlimited human potential we can create great places and we can change the systems to make it easier to create other great places.