CEO Corner

At the end of March, I had the privilege of participating in the conversation at the Leading Forward Health Equity Summit. As is always the case when I attend an AHP conference, I came away invigorated by the energy, ideas, and results that AHP members are achieving toward bettering our profession, our organizations, and the health of our communities.

Achieving health equity faces many obstacles, including income inequality, lack of access to education, housing, and employment opportunities, discrimination, and bias in healthcare systems. These obstacles extend beyond our hospital walls, but not beyond our ability to impact them if we stop and give them the attention they deserve.

Alice Ayres, MBA President and Chief Executive Officer of

At the summit, we saw example after example of healthcare foundations that have partnered successfully with community and government organizations to effect positive change on the health, not just the healthcare, of the communities they serve. Here are just a few examples from around the United States:

• BElovedBIRTH Black Centering, which is creating an entirely new birthing experience for Black folks in California.

• The West Lakes Early Learning Center, which offers combined early childhood education and comprehensive health services to underserved families in Florida.

• The Inova Pride Clinic, which provides primary care for the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia.

• The IU Health Fellowship at Crispus Attucks High School, which offers Black high school students in Indiana a path to an economically stable future in a healthcare career.

Our philanthropy teams are uniquely qualified to contribute to these types of projects. We know the communities we serve better than anyone else at the hospital. We understand which philanthropic partners are most likely to want to support health equity work and secure its sustainability, and we have the necessary relationships with our c-suite partners to ensure that this work is prioritized.

It’s worth the effort. Studies have shown that community-based health programs that aim to improve access to medical and other care for underserved populations can significantly improve health outcomes for these individuals and reduce disparities for underserved populations. Moreover, investing in health equity projects can help our organizations achieve their mission of promoting good health for all individuals, regardless of their background.

It’s valuable work, but it’s also hard work, especially during the single biggest financial crisis in our history, when there is pressure to allocate philanthropic dollars to our core business. Some of you are struggling to keep commitments made in your communities because the dollars simply aren’t there. Others are struggling to convince the board and leadership to stay committed to health equity and health justice in the face of negative margins.

I hope that by seeing what is possible, it will give you renewed motivation to keep moving forward. If we all make even a small difference in health equity in our own communities, together we can make a big difference for the health of all Americans.

At the end of the day, it’s simply the right thing to do.

As Gary Cates, chief philanthropy officer at ProMedica, said at his session at the summit, “I understand the urgency as an industry we face right now, and I know the adage ‘no margin, no mission. But God help us if we ever arrive having restored margin but lost our mission.”

In gratitude for all you do, Alice