The Health Disparities Podcast

The case for diversity in healthcare professions is strong. Research shows that a diverse healthcare workforce improves health outcomes , particularly for patients of color, and also increases people’s access to care and their perception of the care they receive.  Physicians of color are more likely to build careers in underserved communities , which can contribute even more toward the goal of red...

Poverty is a key driver of health disparities. But numerous policies have been shown to help alleviate poverty and improve health equity, according to Dr. Rita Hamad , associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hamad says policymakers need to look upstream and identify the root causes of health issues. “And really recognizing that povert...

A diverse healthcare workforce is critical to improving outcomes for our diverse nation. In order to achieve this, there needs to be both a pipeline and a pathway, says Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice , President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine. “We need students to believe what’s possible in first grade and then chart a path,” she says. Montgomery Rice says her own love and science and people...

Participating in religious activities appears to benefit cardiovascular health among Black Americans. It’s something we explored in an episode on this podcast a few years back. Health systems, professional societies and researchers are increasingly recognizing that “faith-based organizations are trusted institutions within underserved communities and that people not only seek spiritual refuge and...

In today’s episode, we explore some big questions about community health — and how hospitals and health care workers can help promote equitable health outcomes in their communities. The Community Health Needs Assessment, or CHNA, is a  powerful tool for promoting health equity, says Leslie Marshburn, Vice President of Strategy & Population Health at Grady Health System . “We want to be hearing...

Across the globe and in the U.S., environmental crises loom large and threaten our most vulnerable populations.  “There's a lot of dying that's happening now, and it's primarily among poor, Black and Brown people,” says Dr. Cheryl Holder, who’s on a personal mission to inspire clinicians to act on climate change.  Holder explains that a person’s health and well-being is directly impacted by the en...

What motivates Joel Bervell, a.k.a. the Medical Mythbuster, to create social media content addressing racial disparities, the hidden history of medicine, and biases in healthcare?  He’s seen how it can literally save lives. A year after Bervell posted a video about disparities in pulse oximeters for Black patients, a man reached out to share that during the pandemic, he had reported to the hospita...

Weight bias is pervasive and is one of the most common forms of bias in the U.S.  When it comes to obesity medicine, patients can be their worst critics, says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist, educator, and policy maker at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “They’re their worst critics because what they’ve heard from their doctors, their fam...

It takes a village to find and implement strategies that promote positive health outcomes in communities across the U.S. — and the nation’s public health agency is working to promote these innovations. “The best innovations that we've had for humankind have come from these types of collective strategies,” says Dr. Karen Hacker , director of the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention an...

Collaboration is the cure: Dr. Vivian Pinn calls for renewed efforts to bring about health equity Speaking at the university where she was the only female and only African American student in her class, and in the auditorium named for her, “Healing Hate” conference keynote speaker Dr. Vivian Pinn reflects on progressing her career during eras of segregation, discrimination, and civil rights.  Pinn...

Chronic stress from life in an unjust society can have measurable negative impacts on the health of people from marginalized backgrounds.  The concept is known as weathering, and it’s the focus of the aptly named book by Arline Geronimus , a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a professor in the school of public health at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Weath...

Professor Augustus “Gus” White III didn’t just pioneer the understanding of unconscious bias through research methodology during his illustrious career as an orthopedic surgeon. The Harvard Medical School professor and author of “Overcoming” & “Seeing Patients” has also spent a lifetime fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion wherever he has worked, often by emphasizing our common human...

Respectful, patient-centered communication can play a huge role in improving health outcomes and helping eliminate health disparities.  In today’s episode hosted by Movement Is Life’s Conchita Burpee, we explore the critical elements of effective, patient-centered communication. Our guests: Dr. Mauvareen Beverley , an executive-level physician with 20 years of experience advocating for improving p...

When it comes to self-care, many people think of taking a break due to exhaustion or burnout. But the acts of self-care that make a real difference go beyond self-soothing, says Ariel Belgrave, an award-winning health and fitness expert, wellness consultant, and the founder of Gym Hooky .  Belgrave challenges people to consider self-care as an investment in their future selves. “The mindset shift...

Over the past two decades, nearly 200 rural hospitals have closed, resulting in millions of Americans losing access to an emergency room, inpatient care, and other hospital services. And today, more than 700 rural hospitals in the U.S. – or approximately 1 in 3 – are at risk of closing due to financial problems, according to a report from the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Ref...

In our latest podcast series, we’re taking a deep dive on rural health, going beyond the common tropes about rural America – the older, sicker, poorer narrative – and checking in with folks on the ground who are excited to do the work of promoting equitable health outcomes for rural Americans.  Today, Health Disparities podcast host Sarah Hohman talks with two rural health providers: Russell Wimme...

When we consider what it takes to improve the health of rural Americans and address rural health disparities, there's no one size fits all solution. Because, as the saying goes, if you’ve seen one rural community, you’ve seen one rural community.   In our latest podcast series, we are digging into rural health: the challenges, and the opportunities. We’re highlighting the diversity of rural commun...

People in rural areas have higher rates of certain chronic conditions and disabilities and can expect to live a couple years shorter, on average, compared to people in urban areas. The health disparities facing rural Americans stem from many factors – including geographic, economic, social, and systemic issues.  But in the midst of all this, there is hope. There’s greater awareness of the importan...

Congresswoman Terri Sewell says she’s honored to have called John Lewis a colleague, friend and mentor. Lewis, one of the most important civil rights leaders in American history, died in 2020. But his legacy is carried on by health equity champions like Sewell, who has taken up the mantle on legislation that aims to address health disparities in our nation. “The John Lewis Equity in Medicare and M...

Americans are on track to need 1 million knee replacements annually by the year 2025. The rate of disability caused by degenerative joint problems is also on a rise. At the same time, rates of physical activity continue to decline, and sedentary lifestyles and obesity are becoming the main cause of diabetes and heart disease.  It's a vicious cycle of pain, immobility, chronic illness, all of which...

Movement Is Life’s annual summit brings together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to discuss healthy equity challenges and actionable solutions.  This year’s theme is: "Health Equity: Solutions from Healthcare Leaders.” The summit will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from November 14 to 15.  Movement Is Life is honored to have Joel Bervell as a plenary speaker at our upcoming 2024 annual summ...

It takes time, energy and financial resources to bring about change within an organization. Healthcare organizations are no exception.  Health systems that are serious about centering health equity need to put their money where their mouth is, says compliance and DEI consultant Linda Howard . In practice, this means centering equity in both their mission statements and their budgets. “You have to...

Hospitals and health systems can play a big role in addressing healthcare disparities in our nation. It's the focus of our latest podcast series. Today, we zero in on a statewide health equity initiative that is first of its kind in the nation.  Through a historic 1115 Medicaid waiver , Massachusetts hospitals have made a commitment to come together with the state to embed equity into the foundati...

Racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved groups receive unequal medical treatment, contributing to the myriad disparities in health outcomes that we see today. This notion is supported by a growing body of research stemming back decades . The Joint Commission has recognized the horrible impact of health disparities in America, and the group is taking action, says Kathryn Petrovic , vice...

Hospitals and health systems can play a major role in addressing healthcare disparities in our nation. In our latest episode – part of our hospitals and health equity series – we zero in on hospital rankings and how the metrics that are used can compel health systems to take much-needed action on health equity.  “If hospitals were to focus more on health equity, they would be fulfilling both a mor...