The Health Disparities Podcast

There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, all of which were promised healthcare and other services as part of resettlement programs. But having limited democratic power and leverage, health services for Natives have been neglected over many decades.

With Florida emerging as the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, care providers in Jacksonville knew they had to intervene decisively with a testing plan for all populations, including the most vulnerable.

Operation Change Chicago was the prototype of this community intervention program, and has run numerous series that have enabled the model to evolve.

Historic St. Louis was the location for an Operation Change program led by Darlene Donegan, an educator and yoga teacher who is very active in her community.

Every iteration of Operation Change has a unique aspect. There may be certain chronic health conditions that are common to urban, suburban and rural communities, but the needs of different communities vary greatly.

In this podcast program leader Hazella Rollins LaVar shares some insights into the content and impact of the Operation Change initiative at Grace Baptist Church, New York. Grace Baptist is in Mount Vernon, Westchester County, on the fringes of New York City.

Based in the Salvation Army Kroc Center in eastern San Diego, Miriam Rodriguez and her team used their local connections to build the first Operation Change program to be delivered in the Spanish language.

Chicago community leader Christin Zollicoffer discusses how Operation Change has evolved and explores some of the profound and life-changing experiences she has witnessed working with her local participants.

Dr. Yashika Watkins details some of the underpinnings of the Operation Change program and shares insights into how the program can be replicated. This is the first in a series of podcasts exploring the Operation Change program, which will include testimonials from program leaders and participant case reports.

Every month millions of patients visit Orthoinfo.org, a patient oriented orthopedics website from AAOS. Dr. Stuart Fischer leads the editorial team, which produces the content and translates articles into multiple languages.