The Health Disparities Podcast

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 Medicaid Treatment Act — it really is an opportunity to reduce health disparities and to evaluate payment models of Medicare and Medicaid that will take social determinants of health into account,” Sewell says. “I really do believe that health disparities is a civil rights issue, and the opportunity to carry on a bill that [John Lewis] championed, now that he's gone, is a real highlight of my career.” Now in her seventh term representing Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, Rep. Terri Sewell is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama — and the first Black woman to ever serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation.  She speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Bill Finerfrock about how her personal experiences have led her to the work she’s doing today in Congress and also shares these words of encouragement to those working to advance health equity in their communities: “Stay in the trenches, continue to mobilize and organize around these issues and continue to fight… and advocate for what we know is a civil rights issue. It is a human rights issue, health care, and so we can be frustrated, we can be downright mad, but what we can't do is give up.” A note to our listeners: Movement Is Life’s upcoming 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. Registration is now open – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 impact underserved populations most. It’s why Movement is Life created Operation Change – an evidence-based behavioral change program focused on grassroots community interventions.  Operation Change has programs running in cities across the U.S. In today's episode, Health Disparities podcast host Chiara Rodgers speaks with two people involved in the Operation Change chapter in St. Louis: Dr. Darlene Donegan, program director for Operation Change St Louis Dr. Kiaana Howard, assistant professor of physical therapy and orthopedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis A note to our listeners: Operation Change will be featured at Movement Is Life’s upcoming annual summit, which 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. Registration is now open – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 summit. Bervell is a Ghanaian American medical student and science communicator known online as the “Medical Mythbuster.” Through viral social media content, Bervell addresses racial disparities, the hidden history of medicine, and biases in healthcare. Bervell says he appreciates Movement Is Life’s emphasis on community-based programs, clinician education about health disparities, and health policy. He’s excited to attend the summit and meet other like-minded people who are passionate about health equity. “By breaking that cycle of understanding that disparities exist and talking about it, we can start to reach equity,” Bervell says. Bervell speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O’Connor about the 2024 Movement Is Life summit and the exciting slate of hands-on workshops and plenary speakers, including Dr. Arline Geronimus, Dr. Louis Sullivan, and Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. Registration is now open for Movement Is Life’s annual summit – find all the details at our website, and get signed up today! Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 allocate resources. When people start seeing resources being allocated towards things, they start to take it more seriously,” Howard says.  Howard speaks with Health Disparities podcast host Christin Zollicoffer about what it takes to bring about real, lasting change in health systems. They also discuss the possible compliance and legal consequences health systems can face if they fail to address health inequities, and why the investment in health equity is worth it. This episode rounds out our 5-part series on Hospitals & Health Equity. Find previous episodes from this series by subscribing to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Registration is now open for Movement Is Life’s annual summit! Find all the details at our website, and get signed up today!

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 foundation of their operations.  “This really does entail an intentionality on the part of our hospital systems that I think is unmatched in many ways — an intentionality and a will and a drive and a desire to do this work," says Izzy Lopes, Vice President of health equity for the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. Health Disparities podcast host Dr. Mary O’Connor speaks with Lopes about the statewide initiative that aims to address healthcare disparities. Lopes explains why it’s important to prioritize people over percentages, use data to drive health equity strategies, and collaborate with community partners to address patients’ health-related social needs.  Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.