Bridging the Health Equity Gap: A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH NEW JERSEY HEALTHCARE LEADERS By Steve Adubato, PhD
Steve Adubato, PhD, recently sat down with Pamela Clarke, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Newark Community Health Centers, Inc.; Adam D. Jarrett, MD, MS, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Holy Name Medical Center*; Elizabeth Williams-Riley, President and CEO of the American Conference on Diversity; and Bob Atkins, PhD, RN, Director of New Jersey Health Initiatives at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation*, for a discussion for his public television series Think Tank with Steve Adubato. This panel of healthcare experts discussed the health equity gap, the connection between health equity and income inequality and the importance of sensitivity training in healthcare facilities. The following is adapted from that discussion.
ADUBATO: WHAT ARE INEQUITIES IN HEALTH, AND WHY DO THEY MATTER? Williams-Riley: First, people need to understand equity, as it is not the same thing as equality. Equity means endeavoring to meet people where they are and giving them sufficient resources to move forward to live better lives. ADUBATO: WHY SHOULD WE ALL BE CONCERNED ABOUT HEALTH EQUITY? Atkins: Equity really is about opportunity. I think we all want to live in a free and just society where there is opportunity for all. We aim to close the gap between those with the least and those with the most resources, so that everyone has an opportunity for a long, healthy life. ADUBATO: DR. JARRETT, WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN? HOW CAN WE FOCUS ON THOSE WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE TO THE HEALTH INEQUITIES THAT EXIST EVERY DAY? Jarrett: We have to understand that your health is not based only on genetics. It is also based on the environment you grew up in and the environment you live in. If children live in an environment where they don’t have access to good food and good schools, it will affect their health. It makes sense economically and socially for us all to be healthier.
ADUBATO: DR. JARRETT IS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSIDERING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, INCLUDING FACTORS SUCH AS RACE, INCOME, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE HOME. WHAT ABOUT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES? HOW DOES THAT FACTOR IN TO HEALTH INEQUITY? Clarke: Even when people have healthcare entities right next door to them, they still lack access. We have Federally Qualified Health Centers in the community that enable residents to come in and see a board-certified physician. Yet it is still challenging to get residents to come through the door. We serve 49,000 patients in Newark, East Orange, Orange and Irvington. We have extended our hours of operation, but between 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. the health center remains empty. People still don’t believe that it is open for them to come in. There are people living right next door to the health center who we have to beg to come in. ADUBATO: SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS WHY MEDICAID EXISTS. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? Williams-Riley: Often systems and policies are put in place to serve a certain population without taking into
* Holy Name Medical Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are supporters of the Caucus Educational Corporation’s healthcare programming.
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