Off the Charts: Examining the Health Equity Emergency

Well-being and burnout aren’t new topics, but they’ve been in the spotlight since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Natalia Dorf Biderman, a hospitalist at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and co-chair of the clinician well-being taskforce at HealthPartners, shares how burnout expresses itself and relates to well-being. She also discusses belonging, from comfort to connectio...

Dr. Yeng Yang spent five years in a refugee camp before her family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, when she was 10. Her experiences as a child, including the pain she saw her father go through before he died, drove her to pursue a career in health care focused on equity. Dr. Yang shares changes taking place and the opportunities to improve experiences, especially for patients from non-English-speaki...

The murder of George Floyd and summer of 2020 intensified the equity work of businesses, organizations and government. It was an urgent wakeup call for some but reaffirmation of the work already being done by others. Toni Newborn, human resources director and the first chief equity officer for the City of Saint Paul, discusses cultural and systemic change, the city’s focus on equity as a pillar, a...

HealthPartners is committed to creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, included and valued. As part of that commitment, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is proud to host the George Floyd Memorial Art Exhibit, “I Am Not You. You Are Not Me. Healing Begins with Acceptance.” The exhibit, displayed from Jan. 6 through March 4, showcases more than 100 pieces of art a...

In this special episode of Off the Charts , co-hosts Steven Jackson, MD, Kari Haley, MD, and producer Jimmy Bellamy reflect on the past year since the podcast launched. They share the conversations they’re still thinking about, the quotes that have stuck with them and feedback from listeners that inspire them to keep going. Off the Charts will return soon with Season 3. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and...

Lorraine Love spent 15 years in human services before combining the warmth and spirit she had for that work with her skillsets in beauty, design, budgeting and management to open Minnesota’s first Black-owned bridal store. LaNoire Bridal in St. Paul has a culturally diverse selection of wedding attire and services. Love, who grew up in the historic Rondo community as one of eight children, shares...

For the past 40 years, Washington, D.C.-based Grantmakers In Health has been dedicated to helping foundations and funders of all sizes and interests through education, leadership and networking, working with hundreds of philanthropic organizations across the United States. Dr. Cara V. James, president and CEO at GIH, shares how and why her career has focused on minority health and improving health...

When Willie Braziel thinks about growing up in a single-parent household without his father, he remembers the father figures and peers who helped him on his journey. The operations manager for HealthPartners Institute’s Office of Health Professional Education shares how role models and community programs for youth led him to a lifetime of mentorship and volunteerism, including nearly 50 years as a...

Munira MaalimIsaq remembers how difficult navigating the health care system was for her family after they moved to the U.S. from Somalia when she was 9 years old. Since then, she has wanted to help others in a similar position and give back to her community. Asking people what they need and providing education have been her keys to connection. MaalimIsaq, a nurse practitioner at HealthPartners Cli...

Health and well-being create a perspective that activates the way the world engages with us. Activities that are nature-based, happen outdoors and have an element of adventure lead to self-discovery, connection to the environment and building communities. Anthony Taylor, of the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission, shares how riding his bike through Minneapolis one day during college led t...

Equity and diversity bring new ideas, innovation and a richness that move progress forward. But some may think it’s a zero-sum game, that giving someone power takes it away from someone else. Emily Binstadt, MD, HealthPartners emergency medicine physician and director of simulation at Regions Hospital, talks about being a fierce advocate for women in medicine. She and hosts Kari Haley, MD, and Ste...

At HealthPartners and Park Nicollet, it’s part of our ongoing work to improve the health and well-being of birthing parents and babies, through health equity efforts focused on eliminating disparities in maternal and infant care. Dr. Diane Banigo, a doctorate-prepared midwife, certified nurse midwife and Park Nicollet community consultant, discusses means to be a midwife, the importance of buildin...

NOTE TO LISTENERS: Technical difficulties affected some of the audio on this episode. Historically, there hasn’t been a lot of diversity in firefighting and emergency medical services. Seeing is believing, and two graduates of the St. Paul Fire Department’s EMS Academy Pathways program, which provides tuition-free emergency medical technician certification, share the impact representation has had...

Childhood immunization schedules are designed for children’s young immune systems, helping to protect them from preventable diseases as early and as safely as possible. That’s why it’s so important to stay on schedule – even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrea Singh, MD, department chair of pediatrics at Park Nicollet and co-lead of the Children’s Health Initiative, discusses disparities in child...

Racial disparities and major deficits exist in almost every child health measure. The most important one to improve, according to Dr. Jason Maxwell, is reading and literacy because of its statistical connection to adult poverty and incarceration. Dr. Maxwell, the HealthPartners chair of pediatrics and HealthPartners Como Clinic medical director, discusses getting kids and parents started early wit...

In maternal health, race matters. In the U.S., it’s evident in the statistics and disparities in maternal- and infant-health outcomes. HealthPartners is working to help reverse the trends of health inequities and close gaps in the disparities of birth outcomes with family-centered care, high reliability and health equity. Dr. Corinne Brown-Robinson, the vice chair of the OB-GYN department and medi...

That Got Weird , a digital series from Twin Cities PBS, confronts the uncomfortable with real stories of racism experienced by Indigenous, Black, Asian and other people of color in Minnesota. Along with a promise of anonymity, each subject interviewed has a hand in designing their own character and giving it a pseudonym. Myc Daz, the show’s character designer and co-animator, and Sergio Mata’u Rap...

Regions Hospital was the first Minnesota hospital to be verified as both a Level I trauma center for adults and children, able to meet the strict standards of providing entire families the highest level of care. Kelsey Berndt, MD, a trauma surgeon and the medical director of the surgical intensive care unit at Regions, joins the show to discuss trauma and trauma-related injuries, health disparitie...

Awareness for mental health services in the U.S. has increased in recent years, but more work must be done. Over time we’ve learned how to talk about it – and just how important it is to speak up – as one in five people will experience mental illness. Sarah Cassell, the director of inpatient mental health services at Regions Hospital, joins the show for a conversation about the cultural connection...

Pregnant patients should feel empowered to have a birth experience that reflects their culture and values. Regions Hospital Family Birth Center was created with that focus – as a place for family-centered care, high reliability and health equity. LeeAnn Hubbard, MD, the birth center’s medical director, discusses how health equity is the foundation of the facility, its importance in the delivery ex...

Everyone can actively work to develop greater intercultural competence. The Intercultural Development Continuum™ provides a roadmap for individuals, teams and organizations who wish to improve on their ability to understand and adapt to the diversity around them and become more fully inclusive. Sidney Van Dyke, the director of health equity and language access at Regions Hospital, discusses the fi...

In this special episode of Off the Charts , we get to know co-host Steven Jackson, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, and the medical director of patient experience at Regions Hospital. Dr. Jackson shares stories about growing up in Chicago, his desire to help people and how he always knew that he wanted to be a doctor. Host: Kari Haley, MD Guest: Steven Jackson, MD HealthPartne...

In this special episode of Off the Charts , we get to know co-host Kari Haley, MD, an emergency medicine physician and assistant medical director of Regions Hospital EMS. Dr. Haley shares stories about her birth in South Korea, adoption and growing up in Delano, Minnesota, her decision to pursue emergency medicine and passion for health equity. Host: Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Kari Haley, MD Health...

Cultural humility is as essential as anything else in the journey toward equity. Humility comes when we’re critical of ourselves and able to realize our map is only a piece of the whole territory. Miguel Ruiz, MD, a HealthPartners hospice and palliative medicine physician, inspires us with a conversation about cultural competency vs. cultural humility, seeking to understand vs. seeking to be under...

Learning about, understanding and appreciating the community we serve are critical pieces for building trust along the health care journey. Toweya Brown-Ochs, the director of diversity and inclusion at HealthPartners, discusses how it doesn’t happen overnight, the differences between intent and impact, and why impact matters. Hosts: Kari Haley, MD , and Steven Jackson, MD Guest: Toweya Brown-Ochs...