The Challenges of Making Change
Elizabeth Forte, Health Equity Education Specialist at Novant Health, and Vivian Anugwom, Health Equity Manager at Allina Health, share some of the challenges they have encountered while working on the frontlines within their respective health systems to identify and address health disparities. Both Elizabeth and Vivian share how their respective organizations are not only committed to anti-racism but also creating culturally competent, culturally effective care models that reflect all of the communities they serve. This episode highlights the need to bring in the voices of the patients and community to understand how to provide culturally responsive care. “Speaking truth to power” is the start of creating a culture of inclusivity.
Listen Now
About Our Guests
Elizabeth Barfield Forte
Education Specialist, Novant Health NHRMC
Elizabeth Barfield Forte is a graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill. She received a Bachelor’s degree in African American Studies accompanied by a minor in Medical Anthropology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Healthcare Administration at UNC-Wilmington. She is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina and returned here to work and reside after college.
She has been the Education Specialist within the Health Equity department for the last 3 years at Novant Health NHRMC. Her job brings her joy because she is able to educate, empower, and equip employees in a way that also has a positive impact on the community she was raised in. As a department, their primary goals are to reduce health disparities between various demographics of patients, increase minority retention and recruitment, and increase the cultural awareness of our team members.
Due to her passion for people, she is always seeking out new opportunities that allow her to engage with individuals she might not normally come across. These interactions remind her that everyone has a story and a perspective to share if you take the time to listen. A thought that she lives by is that a person must know their own specific “why” in life to be able to make the greatest impact in, not only their life, but also, the lives of those around them.
More About Ms. Forte
Vivian Anugwom
Health Equity Manager at Allina Health
Vivian Anugwom is a trained community health educator with significant experience in health care operations and program development. Throughout her career, she has worked with programs that serve patients across the care continuum from diabetes prevention to end-of-life care.
In her current role, Vivian collaborates with leaders at Allina Health to advance health equity by increasing capacity and capability of leaders and front line staff to provide culturally responsive care and ultimately eliminate health disparities.
Vivian is driven by a passion for building relationships and collaborating with others to improve community health and address the needs of groups disproportionately impacted by inequities. She is a trained community health educator and is currently enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health Executive MHA program.
More about Ms. Anugwom
