In this episode of Centering Health Equity, we speak with Dr. Sheldon Fields, President of the National Black Nurses Association, and Dr. Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce about the unique role nurses have in advancing health equity. We discuss the importance of patient centered care, addressing health inequities at the system level, and the key opportunities nurses have to promote health equity.

Our show looks at the many factors that contribute to diabetic amputations—one of the most life altering challenges a patient can face if they do not get the care they need or cannot sustain their treatment. In this episode we speak to Dr. Michael Sobolevsky, a Specialty Physician at the University Health, Texas Diabetes Institute and Dr. Francisco Prieto, a member of the board of directors for the American Diabetes Association.

Dr. Bryan Buckley, Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the National Committee for Quality Assurance and Assistant Professor at Georgetown School of Medicine joins us to discuss how medical schools are working to develop a curriculum for health equity and the impact this has in the effort to improve health outcomes for all.

Geoffrey Roche, SVP of National Health Care Practice & Workforce Partnerships at Core Education PBC and Dr. Angelita Howard, Dean for Online Programs and Extended Programs at Morehouse School of Medicine, joined us to discuss the new skills and competencies that will be expected of frontline staff who register patients, support their care, and coordinate their care plan.

Ashlei Spivey, Executive Director at IBeBlackGirl, and Stacey Penny, Senior Project Director at the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, join us to discuss the key challenges black mothers face while pregnant and birthing.

Dr. Italo Brown, and Dr. Stephanie Brown discussed the use of Health Equity Rounds as an important didactic approach to understanding the role social determinants can play in medicine. Dr. Italo Brown has introduced SPACE as a model for conducting the rounds — Share, Probe, Acknowledge, Connect, Engage. Dr. Stephanie Brown shares her experience at Sutter Health in a pilot project that introduced this model to providers in the Labor and Delivery department at Sutter Health’s Berkeley site.

Join us for our interview with Dr. Janet Englund, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington Medical School and Director of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Group at Seattle Children’s Hospital Center for Clinical and Translational Research, for a conversation about vaccine research and clinical trials.

In this episode we are joined by Pat Geraghty, President and CEO, GuideWell and Florida Blue and Dr. Kelli Tice, Vice President Medical Affairs, Chief Health Equity Officer at GuideWell. Our conversation explored how GuideWell responded to the pandemic and talked about the specific ways that health plans can engage in advancing health equity. Our guests were candid about the hard work that is required and the importance of health plans working closely with community stakeholders to understand the needs of the communities where their members live and work. As much as has been achieved, there remains more to do and both Pat and Dr. Tice share their deep commitment and passion for this work.

Duane Reynolds and Maria Hernandez’s conservation with Dr. Alexander Salerno, and Chuck Ingoglia, shed light on the enormity of the challenges those suffering with mental illness can encounter while seeking the appropriate care and navigating the fragmented mental health system. They also discuss the integrated healthcare model where physical and mental health needs can be addressed in the same setting, contributing to a better distribution of health outcomes and enhanced quality of life.

Join us for our interview with Lisa Sloane, founder and CEO of More Inclusive Healthcare, and Tamara Migut, Director of Quality Improvement at Health Alliance Medical Plans, provides a rich opportunity to look at how collecting data on race, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity pose unique challenges for health systems and how to craft a strategy that supports staff adoption and patient engagement.

Join us for our interview with Dr. Aletha Maybank and Myra Aldana-Gregorian as they share the highlights and challenges they have faced while taking an active role in dismantling systemic inequities, policies, and practices within their respective organizations.

Join us for our interview with Andres Gonzalez which focuses on the emerging organizational changes that health systems are making to link workforce diversity and talent development with quality of care for diverse populations.

Join us for our interview with Elizabeth Forte and Vivian Anugwom about some of the challenges they have encountered while working on the frontlines within their respective health systems to identify and address health disparities.

Join us for our interview with Desiree de la Torre and Fernando Little about what their Health systems are doing to advance health equity beyond their four walls.

Join us for our interview with twin sisters Dr. Uche Blackstock and Dr. Oni Blackstock about their unique story as second-generation physicians and leaders in the African American medical community.

Join us for part one of the interview with Philip Albert and Priya Bathija about the ways the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) are supporting their members in their efforts to advance health equity.

Join us for part two of the interview with Philip Albert and Priya Bathija about the ways the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) are supporting their members in their efforts to advance health equity.

How are major health systems responding to the national unrest spurred by the injustices of racism and health inequities that the pandemic has magnified? In this two part episode, we feature Dr. Stephen Lockhart of Sutter Health and Ms. Cassandra Willis-Abner formerly of Trinity Health, now with Press Ganey Associates. Listen to the strategies that have made both systems leaders in health equity.