4 Things to Consider If You Want to Get Health Equity Right

In 2020, health equity, a formerly nuanced topic, became part of the public dialogue across the health ecosystem and the general public after the COVID-19 pandemic brought illuminated the glaring health inequities among marginalized communities.
 
As Health Equity and Justice Practice Leader at Real Chemistry, I'm charged with setting the strategy for how we improve health outcomes for all – not just during the pandemic but by creating a new view on “business as usual” across our industry.

I recently moderated a panel discussion on getting health equity right at the FiercePharma 2021 DE&I Summit. The conversation featured Dr. Vindell Washington, CEO of Onduo, a Verily Company, Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, MBA, AVP for Health Equity at Merck and Lead of Merck for Mothers, and Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Grapevine Health. 

I asked the questions that can shape the conversations organizations need to have if they plan to play a meaningful role in addressing health inequities. 

Engineering Health Equity in How You Run Your Business

When asked, "What does it mean to recognize health equity as a business imperative?" Drs. Fitzpatrick and Etiebet both mentioned the necessity for a business strategy, plan, staff and budget, which I couldn't agree with more. Making health equity a priority in any organization requires thought-equity, talent and support from the C-suite and down. We must operationalize health equity and see it as mission-critical to innovating and helping patients and communities. 

Health equity must be interwoven into every decision an organization makes. It's not a fad or a singular initiative or program. Dr. Washington put it perfectly when he said, "Nothing is a business imperative if it only comes to light during a national crisis or an awareness month. Health equity has to be engineered into the way you run your business."

Building the Right Team and Giving Them the Right Resources

A steadfast commitment to health equity means putting appropriate resources in place for the right team to succeed. It’s important to note that ethnicity isn't necessarily a key prerequisite. Being of a particular ethnic descent doesn't mean you're an automatic authority on the community. That’s why I asked the panelists which core qualities, skills or expertise are needed for team members leading health equity imperatives. 

Answers ranged from listening skills to understanding the culture and the people they're serving. The panelists described an organization with diverse leadership and excellent communication skills to properly assimilate information throughout the organization and the community. Dr. Washington posed the question, "Does this person understand the most important needs to move a community from poor health to good health, and are they oriented in such a way to find and act on those items?"  

A large part of improving health outcomes in marginalized communities requires health literacy – a challenge Dr. Fitzpatrick actively works to combat. She explained it like this, "Helping people understand their health allows them to connect and advocate for themselves and their loved ones. This is a critical step and gateway to better health outcomes."

Don’t Conflate DEI and Health Equity

I want to make a crucial point about the difference between DEI and health equity. Although they are often lumped into a single category, and one can help the other, they shouldn't be measured jointly. 

Dr. Etiebet said, "When you have a team of people who understand the community they're serving, they want to do something for that community. They are bringing real-life experiences to the team, and they want to make sure their day-to-day work is solving that problem."  

A team connected to the community they serve adds knowledge, wisdom and value to an organization, and helps influence the strategy and plan to meet the demand. But to clarify, having a diverse workforce is not "doing" the work that translates to health equity; that's only half the battle. 

Turning the Mirror and Asking Better Questions

I asked the panelists for actionable steps that organizations should be taking to move the needle to advance health equity, and, in response, they posed questions that organizations should ask themselves:

• Do we understand what health equity is and how we can influence it? 

• Does equity transcend to our C-suite? Where does it sit in our org chart?

• Have we defined and set clear goals for how we can advance health equity? What's our roadmap? How do we plan to get there?

• Do we have a budget and capable staff leading us in this space?

• Do we have metrics? How will we know if our plan is working? 

• Are we using tech and AI in innovative ways to track our efforts?

• Do we measure at the individual level first before we try to scale? 

• Are we actively looking at areas of health inequity within our systems?

• Are we trying to raise standards of care in marginalized communities?

• Are we being responsive to the needs of our community and meeting that demand?

• What can we do right now? What can we do long-term?

Health equity is not one organization or industry's responsibility and won't be solved without a collaborative effort across the health ecosystem, including less traditional partnerships with those outside of health care. Creating better health outcomes for all is within reach if we are willing to change together.

Watch the full session recording below.