The Health Disparities Podcast

Round Table: Personal experiences of how affirmative action has increased Hispanic & African American healthcare workforce diversity.

Diversity as a goal has been considered a compelling reason (and legal precedent) for higher education institutions to apply policies which attempt to correct the effects of intentional and structural discrimination impacting gender, race, and ethnicity.
Our esteemed panel of healthcare stakeholders and health equity advocates share personal experiences of how affirmative action has benefitted them, and the Hispanic and African American healthcare workforces in general. The discussion also explores affirmative action policy milestones, the positive impact these policies have had on overall workforce diversity and STEM education programs, and other knock-on effects such as increasing diverse participation in clinical trials.
Featuring Mary O’Connor, MD, Oly, Chair of Movement is Life, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Vori Health (host); Prof. Frank McLellan, Esq., Professor Emeritus, Beasley School of Law, Temple University; Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, MACP, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association; Bonnie Mason Simpson, MD, FAAOS, Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, American College of Surgeons; Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Treasurer of Movement is Life. Copyright © Movement is Life 2022.

Affirmative Action: As severe under-representation of minorities in the healthcare workforce persists, affirmative action now faces a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

Featuring Cara McClellan, JD, MEd, and Mary I. O’Connor, MD.
Addressing the under-representation of racial minorities in the health professions is considered central to reducing overall health disparities and inequalities. Multiple “race-conscious” laws and policies have been introduced that seek to help marginalized communities, ranging from affirmative action to voting rights, reproductive rights, and environmental protections. Legal action now brought before the Supreme Court by conservative activist Edward Blum calling for all higher education admission applications to be effectively “color-blind” could end affirmative action as we know it, with wider ramifications for race-conscious legislation.
In this episode of the Health Disparities Podcast, Cara McClellan, JD from the Advocacy for Racial and Civil (ARC) Justice Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law in Philadelphia unpacks the origins of affirmative action with Dr. Mary O’Connor, Chair of Movement is Life. Together they discuss the foundational impact of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the role of the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965, and current judicial deliberations. Depending on how SCOTUS rules on overturning affirmative action, the long battle to desegregate higher education in the United States could take a backwards step. But are there alternative approaches?
Copyright: Movement is Life 2022 

Health Zones & Healthy 2030 Goals: CVS & Aetna commitment to community health equity with Jennifer Truscott

Jennifer Truscott is Senior Vice President, Cross-Enterprise Strategic Innovation, with Aetna, whose parent company is CVS. Jennifer shares some of the ways in which CVS is centering and investing in health equity, particularly at the local level, by leveraging the strong engagement that CVS has with many underserved communities. Initiatives discussed include investments in specific “Health Zones,” and also in affordable housing. Jennifer also shares her thoughts on the importance of acting locally, and a great health equity read called Take us to a Better Place, RWJFs first book of fiction. With host Dr. Jonathan Silver, Chief Orthopedic Physician Associate, Department of Orthopedics, Kings County Hospital Center, New York, and President, Academy of Doctoral Physician Associates.
Resources and initiatives mentioned in this episode:
CVS Healthy 2030 Goals: https://www.cvshealth.com/social-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility/healthy-2030-goals
About CVS Health Zones: https://www.cvshealth.com/social-responsibility/health-zones  
Take us to a Better Place, RWJFs first book of fiction:  https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2019/11/take-us-to-a-better-place-stories-coming-january-2020.html
Excerpt:
“At CVS we are concerned about the health disparities in our communities. There are disproportionate rates of illness and death and limited cultural competency among providers and resources. We see ongoing and deep-rooted discrimination and racism…it’s those -isms that we just have to uncover and address. And until we have those honest conversations, we are never going to be able to solve them.”  ~ Jennifer Truscott, CVS & Aetna
Copyright © Movement is Life 2022 
 

Town Hall Meeting 2: Operation Change has a Ripple Effect in San Diego

We visit San Diego’s Salvation Army Kroc Center for an Operation Change Town Hall welcoming the local Hispanic community. For the first time since lockdown, Operation Change convenes its program in San Diego. There is a joyful and grateful atmosphere, although some participants have sad news to share about loved ones lost to the pandemic. Our interviews reveal how Operation Change is much more than a wellness program, it is a true community intervention. 
We learn how information shared during the Operation Change sessions ripples out into the wider community through family connections, via participants who are community health workers, and passed on by San Diego’s famous Kitchenistas. Featuring participants from the Operation Change San Diego community, Program Coordinator Sonia Cervantes, Dr. Ramon Jimenez, and Prof. Christina Jimenez. Produced and narrated by Rolf Taylor. 

Movement is Life Caucus November 2022 Preview 3: “Movement” Workshops

In Part 2 of our Caucus Workshops Preview, Dr. Millicent Gorham, Dr. Mary O’Connor and podcast host Rolf Taylor discuss the “Movement” workshop series from the Movement is Life Caucus which convenes on November 10-11, 2022.
Workshop 5: Social Influences of Health – Opening Doors, Opening Minds, impacting lives, Strategies to Improve Well Being.
Workshop 6: Shared Decision Making - Beyond the Hype.
Workshop 7: Move Your Mind, Move Your Body.
Workshop 8: Engaging the Body and Brain Through an African Drumming & Dance Experience.
Caucus & Registration information: www.movementislifecaucus.com

Movement is Life Caucus November 2022 Preview 2: “Activism” Workshops

In Part 1 of our Caucus Workshops Preview, Dr. Millicent Gorham, Dr. Mary O’Connor and podcast host Rolf Taylor discuss the “Activism” workshop series from the Movement is Life Caucus which convenes on November 10-11, 2022.
Workshop 1: Is Health Equity the New Startup?
Workshop 2: Playing the Race Cards, Conversations on Racial Healing and Equity.
Workshop 3: The Art of Storytelling – Changing the World One story at a time. 
Workshop 4: The JEDI Journey – This is the way.
To learn about our 4 “Movement” workshops, tune in to part 2 of this discussion which is episode 127. 
Caucus & Registration information: www.movementislifecaucus.com

Town Hall Meeting 1: Operation Change celebrates resiliency in Chicago

It’s been over two years since COVID-19 put everyone’s plans on hold. Community wellness programs such as Operation Change had to be paused, and everyone did their best to stay healthy in their homes during lockdown. This Town Hall at the South Side YMCA in Chicago is a welcome return to community gatherings, and an opportunity for past participants of Operation Change to reconnect, and also introduce new people to the program. Join us as we ask attendees why Operation Change has meant so much to them, and why Operation Change is such an important and effective community intervention. Featuring participants from the Operation Change Chicago community, and with Town Hall speakers Dr. Carla Harwell and Rev. Dr. Evelyn Dixon.

Movement is Life Caucus November 2022 Preview 1: Plenary sessions

The Movement is Life Annual Caucus is a major event on the health equity conference calendar. With the theme of “Health Equity Beyond the Headlines,” this year’s meeting convenes an outstanding group of leaders who are defining and implementing real solutions to health inequities. Join Caucus Chair Dr. Mary O’Connor and Movement is Life’s inaugural Executive Director Dr. Millicent Gorham for a preview of the plenary sessions and a discussion about the future mission and direction of Movement is Life, which is now an independent nonprofit organization. For further information  visit: www.movementislifecaucus.com/2022-caucus/

Can telemedicine reduce rural and other health disparities? Featuring Neal Neuberger.

Neal Neuberger has spent the past 35 years in Washington as a recognized leader for healthcare and information technology policy and strategy. In this episode, he will discuss telemedicine and the effect it can have on health disparity in rural areas. With host Bill Finerfrock.

The power of our voices: Thinking about the language we use in medicine, and the positive consequences of open notes. With Dr. Leonor Fernández.

Medical notes capture information that informs decision making. They can also reveal how healthcare providers are judging their patients, and patients reading those notes can feel offended, shamed and stigmatized by what they read. Drawing from her work as a Latina primary care clinician and health equity advocate, and as a Harvard Professor, Dr. Fernández highlights the importance of language and culture in medicine and in our medical notes. In this episode,we explore how language and literacy shape our ability to offer equitable, meaningful, and respectful care to Latinx, Black and other marginalized populations.