The Health Disparities Podcast

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.

From surviving to thriving: Building personal resilience in the era of micro, macro, and “atomic” aggressions.

We often hear about the role of microaggressions, macroaggressions, and atomic aggressions during discussions about health equity. Often driven by unconscious bias, microaggressions are intrinsic to the processes of marginalization, racism and sexism that impact both patients and providers during the complex interactions that occur every day in the healthcare setting. How do we go about reducing and eliminating these types of harmful behaviors and transgressions? Can raising awareness at the grassroots level and then legal remedies at the policy level work in tandem to change behavior and provide protection? Today's episode explores these questions from a variety of perspectives, touching on the importance of fostering an inclusive culture for diverse students heading towards healthcare professions, and how this will also benefit patients.

Featuring Dr. Elvis Francois. Behind the Masked Singer, a lifelong passion for music as medicine.

Dr. Mary O’Connor invites fellow surgeon and singing sensation Dr. Elvis Francois to share his story. Dr. Elvis found fame on "The Masked Singer" after recording and posting inspirational performances accompanied by fellow physician Dr. William Robinson. In this episode, Dr. Elvis talks about the importance of integrating humanity into medicine, and how the emotional connections created through our shared love of music inspire resilience and healing.