December 2024 | www.futureofpersonalhealth.com
“When navigating the current healthcare system, don’t settle for treatment you know in your heart is sub-standard.”
Tatyana Ali, Actress; Founder, Baby Yams Page 02
“The
Joel Bervell, “Medical Mythbuster” Page 06
Zubaida Bai is a women’s health advocate and UN SDG 3 Pioneer. She is the president and CEO of Grameen Foundation USA, a global non-profit investing in the power of women to end poverty and hunger.
Men’s mental health is an important but often overlooked aspect of well-being. Learn the issues men face and find support in individual therapy.
What are some of the challenges faced by the women you work with when accessing healthcare?
After a traumatic birthing experience, Tatyana Ali, actress and founder of Baby Yams, began sharing her story to advocate for change and empower Black women to stand up for the quality care they deserve.
What first inspired you to advocate for Black maternal health?
The women we work with often confront deep-rooted barriers, including social norms that devalue women’s health needs. Young women aged 15-24 find even fewer pathways to accessing critical healthcare.
What strategies are you implementing to combat these challenges that can be replicated in the United States?
t Calmerry, we’re aware of the unique mental health challenges men encounter nowadays and understand how important a supportive and professional environment is in overcoming them. For that reason, we provide a confidential and supportive space specifically designed to help men address a wide range of personal and emotional concerns, including but not limited to addiction, anxiety, depression and trauma.
Taking the step to seek therapy often follows from a willingness to improve various aspects of life and well-being, and at Calmerry, we see a wide range of driving factors that motivate our clients to reach out for support. For instance, among the most common concerns are physical health issues, which account for 85% of therapy requests, followed closely by relationship challenges at 71% and sexual concerns at 70%.
Grameen Foundation is building a mobile network of community agents who can support women’s healthcare needs while providing essential financial services, a dual approach that creates lasting impact. We also engage male spouses to strengthen families and tackle systemic problems, ultimately enhancing families’ ability to escape poverty. When families collaborate, the positive effects on women’s health and economic stability are transformative.
Our AccelHERate program focuses on young women, including those who age out or drop out of school programs. Many face limited employment opportunities and are often denied agency over their own healthcare decisions. We provide tailored support that starts with household change, strengthened by financial literacy combined with connections to reproductive health services, paving the way for brighter futures.
Through digital therapy, our clients can access support anywhere and anytime, with privacy as our top priority. A notable 24% of our clients express a strong desire to advance in their careers, while an equal 24% focuses on building self-confidence. Men who begin individual therapy with Calmerry experience significant improvements within the first month, noticing shifts in their wellness.
During my second pregnancy and birth, my brilliant community-based, traditional Black midwife, Racha Lawler, held space for my power as a birthing person. During our prenatal visits, she spent time listening to me. She asked for permission to touch my body at every visit. She cared about my emotional and psychological needs. When my baby turned lateral and I chose to birth in a hospital, Racha helped me select the most reformed hospital in my area and worked very hard to ensure my safety.
I received excellent postpartum care, which included home visits, dietary guidance, and lactation support.
I work to amplify the brilliant Black women who deeply understand the needs of their communities — organizations and research institutions like Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Sister Song, Commonsense Childbirth, and Birthplace Lab at the University of British Columbia. They are creating the cultural, legislative, and clinical solutions necessary to protect our families.
I didn’t want it? Why did they forcibly pin my arms and legs down to the bed?
I discovered that my story is commonplace among Black birthing people. I also realize that my family is lucky because my baby and I survived and I am able to tell my own story. I will continue to do this work until all Black mothers and families are safe.
What advice would you give to Black people who are either currently pregnant or are starting to plan for having a family?
At Calmerry, we believe that by addressing these issues head-on, our clients can achieve greater emotional resilience and improve their overall quality of life.
Written by Calmerry Care Team
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How has your experience in the healthcare system led to your work in reproductive justice?
My first birth experience led me to the reproductive justice movement. After a very joyful and healthy pregnancy, I experienced obstetric violence in the hospital. Our baby spent four days in the NICU, and we were left extremely traumatized.
My journey began with questions: Why was our birth plan ignored? Why was I repeatedly urged to take an epidural when
To my sisters and brothers: As you begin the sacred journey of growing and caring for your families, please, please don’t be dismayed by the stories that must be shared in order to create change. Visualize the experience you deeply desire and then seek it out. When navigating the current healthcare system, don’t settle for treatment you know in your heart is sub-standard, and please don’t bypass micro-aggressions that you experience. Independent of your economic status or any pre-conditions, you deserve loving, quality care.
I urge you to seek out Black women-led organizations that uplift traditional and community midwives and doulas. As you read this, they are building safe perinatal spaces and birthing our liberation.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials has launched its newly revamped signature series, the free online learning resource Roots of Health Inequity.
How does a nation achieve optimal health for all of its citizens? How do you ensure the pathway to better health outcomes is paved for everyone, regardless of their background or other social characteristics?
The roots of health equity are intertwined with those of public health’s advances, and building strong public health systems and infrastructure has been a core mission of public health for over 200 years. However, health inequities have cast a long shadow upon communities across the country, shaping the health outcomes of millions, especially those who have been marginalized by unjust policies and institutions. Addressing the inequities in public health requires collective action — an approach that includes policy change, community engagement, and targeted interventions to ensure that everyone can thrive.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has launched its newly revamped signature series, the free online learning resource Roots of Health Inequity. Originally launched in 2011, Roots of Health Inequity has served as a beacon, illuminating the complex tapestry of systems, structures, and deeply ingrained histories that weave the fabric of inequitable health outcomes.
The course explores topics including the historical influences of public health and its roots in the social justice and labor movements
of the 19th century; root causes related to race, gender, and class struggles; and how to build power to advance equity in public health practices. Updated to reflect the complexities of today, users can customize their experience for engaging and dynamic learning.
The all-new platform features a learner-centered interface that allows users to tailor their learning experience, listen to stories from the field, and facilitate group conversations about the content, both online and in person. Users will find that the course draws upon a mix of historical and recent events to discuss concepts that apply to current topics in public health practice.
The work of advancing health equity in our communities belongs to all of us. By understanding the root causes of health inequities, public health practitioners can effectively strategize and orient their organization’s programming to address the social or structural drivers of health inequities. We all have a role to play in advancing health equity and social justice in our communities, and Roots of Health Inequity lays out strategies to collaborate with others to do that work. Together, we can plant the seeds of change and watch them blossom into a healthier, more just society.
Written by Andrea Grenadier, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, National Association of
County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Bethany Waggoner, director of global program development at CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), discusses the importance of community resilience in crisis recovery.
How is climate change related to health access and equity?
There is a huge relationship and lots of touch points between health and climate change. One is around extreme heat: As temperatures are rising in most places around the world, vulnerable populations in low-income communities don’t typically have access to cool spaces.
Another is the increased frequency and severity of storms, which can severely impact health infrastructure. Getting first aid or healthcare can be really difficult following a major earthquake or storm, and flooding can impact the water supply, which can lead to cholera outbreaks.
What role does community have in closing the health equity gap?
At CORE, we believe communities play a vital role in the success of any endeavor. Community members have an insider understanding of the challenges and barriers they’re facing, and they also give the necessary context to be able to come up with solutions.
It’s important to engage people who know what they’re talking about and who can navigate the circumstances, since they have the skills and resources to continue doing the work even after our funding ends. It’s crucial that whenever we enter a community, even if we are well-integrated into the community, we do our homework and understand how the underlying conditions of the situation affect our ability to support people.
Director of Global Program Development, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)
After being diagnosed with lupus, TV host Nick Cannon made it his mission to empower future generations through health equity.
How did being diagnosed with lupus impact your life?
Honestly, it was scary at first, because I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about lupus. It was during the holidays and I was experiencing great pain, and then I had to be rushed to the hospital and flown to a different hospital. I wasn’t familiar with lupus at all — I had only heard about it from my friend, Toni Braxton. There were so many things going through my mind, but once I got educated and understood what I had to do to remedy my body, that’s when all the fear left.
How has your daily routine changed after being diagnosed and going through treatment?
Today, I feel like I’m probably the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. What lupus does is hold you accountable for your health, because it’s an autoimmune condition. If you’re not doing all the proper things, your immune system can instantly go out of whack and cause so many other problems and flare-ups. In order for me to not experience those things, I’ve had to learn to eat properly, hydrate, and exercise regularly.
I recently launched NCredible Food, which is an all-in-one super supplement that supports brain, gut, and immune health through a clinically backed formula of protein, greens, vitamins, and minerals, so people can support their health goals and enhance their daily vitality.
What can loved ones of lupus patients do to support them and help them through their journey? Be understanding, and be patient. Lupus is a silent assassin: The person may look perfectly fine and is attempting to be strong, but sometimes even just getting out of bed can be so difficult. I remember there were times
when I couldn’t even move for over an hour. So, I would just say if you have a loved one with lupus, be patient with them, and try to be as understanding and compassionate as possible.
What specific challenges do men of color face when it comes to expressing vulnerability, especially as it relates to their health and well-being?
One of the platforms I’ve recently built is called Counsel Culture, and it’s specifically for men of color to be able to have a safe space to be vulnerable, to say “I’m not okay” or “I don’t understand this.” Men are always supposed to be strong, and there’s a stigma against expressing vulnerability. When men can be there for men, there’s a magic that occurs because you understand that there’s someone going through the exact same thing as you, and together, you can get through it. Having the strength to be vulnerable is the type of courage that we’re all about at Counsel Culture.
What legacy do you hope to leave in terms of raising awareness not just for lupus, but for health equity and disparities in America?
Legacy is definitely my passion and my purpose. I don’t go through it, I grow through it. I’ve gone through so much, and I’ve been able to grow through so much. Whatever I can leave when it comes to information, knowledge, and wisdom for the generations to come, this has truly become my passion.
I know what it’s like to be a patient, to go through intensive care and rehabilitation. Knowing that I have all of these experiences, I can culminate them together to ultimately be a beacon or amplifier for those who don’t have the platform that I have. If I can be that conduit for the community, I feel like that’s the greatest legacy I can leave.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are undergoing a significant health transformation. While once predominantly battling infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, these regions are now experiencing a rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.i
This shift to NCDs, or chronic diseases, is placing new demands on already limited healthcare resources in LMICs, making it essential to strengthen access to high-quality healthcare. As 77% of global chronic disease-related deaths now occur in these regions, there is an urgent need to support sustainable healthcare solutions.
Affordability of medicines is a central issue in LMICs. National health systems grapple with the overwhelming costs of procuring and distributing essential medicines. Access to life-saving care remains a challenge, with patients and their families needing to bear the bulk of the cost of treatment.
Even when therapies are affordable and technically available, true access to medicines can remain out of reach. Fragile and inconsistent supply chains can disrupt treatment distribution. Limited infrastructure and resources in health systems can hinder proper diagnoses and medical delivery. For innovative medicines, this is further exacerbated by limited awareness, education, and experience with administering these medicines. These multifaceted barriers make accessing quality healthcare a daunting challenge for countless individuals.
The ASPIRE initiative
Recognizing these needs, Bristol Myers Squibb has broadened its commitment to access by introducing its ASPIRE initiative. ASPIRE (Accessibility, Sustainability, Patient-centric, Impact, Responsibility, and Equity) is a 10-year strategy aiming to advance access to innovative treatments for more than 200,000 patients in LMICs by 2033. ASPIRE focuses on creating new access and importation pathways for medicines, increasing the availability of innovative treatments, and partnering with local healthcare providers and facilities.
“The shift from infectious diseases to chronic conditions in LMICs is deepening the imbalance in healthcare access, where worse health outcomes and lack of economic opportunities keep individuals and entire communities from achieving their full potential,” said Adam Lenkowsky, executive vice president, chief commercialization officer, Bristol Myers Squibb. “Our aim as a company and through our ASPIRE commitment is to transform the lives of all patients through science, no matter where they live.”
The shifting health landscape in LMICs is not just a regional issue — it’s a global concern that affects us all. With LMIC populations growing nearly four times faster than wealthier
nations and now accounting for 84% of the world’s population,ii the rise of chronic conditions can have far-reaching implications for public health. Vital initiatives like ASPIRE aim to help address the root of the problem by strengthening healthcare systems and empowering local communities. By supporting such efforts, we can contribute to a healthier, more equitable world for everyone.
Written by Bristol Myers Squibb
World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ noncommunicable-diseases. Accessed October 3, 2024.
i. Data based on several UN and World bank publicly available data bases. Data sets may not be the most recent calendar years but are from equivalent timelines. LMIC data may include MIC data. Very Low-Income Country and United States data excluded.
Nurses spend more time with patients and families than other healthcare professionals do, gaining a unique perspective that empowers them to advance health equity at the bedside.
N“urses are well positioned to positively impact health equity for patients and families because they consistently advocate for the resources and care necessary to support healing,” said critical-care nurse practitioner Jennifer Adamski, president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
Every day, nurses witness the challenges individuals face and see firsthand how social determinants of health, such as education, income, and access to affordable care, can affect someone’s health.
Addressing the link between social factors and clinical outcomes requires a comprehensive approach and original ideas.
Over the past decade, more than 525 nurses at 106 hospitals have completed AACN’s Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy, improving outcomes for more than 1 million patients. Several CSI Academy teams have looked beyond a clinical situation to address underlying causes of poor patient outcomes related to health equity, such as literacy levels.
Such initiatives improve outcomes for patients while demonstrating how nurses can ensure that health equity is more than a buzzword.
Vicki Good, AACN’s chief clinical officer, said, “As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, nurses are uniquely positioned to not only navigate today’s challenges, but to shape the future of healthcare.”
Written by Desiree Hodges, Board Member, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Joel Bervell, also known as the “Medical Mythbuster,” is tackling misinformation and systemic racism in medicine to create a more equitable healthcare system for all.
What inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare and medicine?
For much of my childhood, my grandma was the main caretaker for my siblings and me. When we were finally old enough to take care of ourselves, my grandma ended up going back to her home in Ghana. Unfortunately, within a year, she passed away from malaria, and I remember hearing that part of the reason she passed away was because there were delays in her care caused by a lack of access to hospital resources. That was my first time ever seeing healthcare disparities on a global scale.
During my third summer in college, I got to work with orthopedic surgeons at Howard University Hospital, and that was the first time I saw doctors who looked like me — who were Black. In the United States, less than 6% of all physicians are Black, and seeing those physicians really inspired me to have an impact in the Black community.
What led you to share your medical expertise on social media?
A big part of my motivation to start sharing my medical expertise on social media was the belief that “you can’t be what you can’t see.” When I started medical school, I was one of the first two Black medical students in my program — despite there having
been three previous classes. I found myself wondering, “Why is that the case? What can I do to change it?” This led me to start sharing my journey on TikTok.
What are the root causes of the most pressing health disparities?
The science of medicine is built on the knowledge of the past, but unfortunately, that foundation hasn’t always been objective. Racism was deeply woven into early medical science, especially during the era of slavery, to uphold economic, social, and political systems designed to benefit a select population. Many of those biases became ingrained in healthcare practices, passed down through generations, and eventually turned into systemic issues that we often overlook today.
When examining the root causes of health inequities in the United States, I see strong connections to historical, social, political, and economic structures that favor certain communities. Much of my work is focused on helping people unlearn these inherited biases. My goal is to transition from a racebased system to a race-conscious one — no longer using race as a reason to treat patients differently, but instead recognizing how social, political, and economic forces have shaped health outcomes across generations and continue to drive health inequities.
As vulnerable communities across the country continue to face health disparities, we must remain committed to delivering equitable health for everyone, everywhere.
Health disparities in the United States are deeply rooted, and addressing them requires investing in education and diversifying the medical profession. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Black Americans represent only 5% of the physician workforce, despite comprising about 13% of the U.S. population.
This imbalance may limit access to culturally competent care, which is essential for improving health in under-resourced communities. Studies have shown that Black patients often experience better health outcomes when treated by Black physicians. This underscores the need to cultivate the next generation of diverse healthcare
leaders who can close these gaps and help improve the health of all communities.
One way the American Heart Association is addressing this gap is through its Scholars Program. The latest class of Scholars are from Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and are participants of the Association’s Empowered to Serve initiative. Empowered to Serve is a platform inspired by American Heart Association volunteers around the country who are passionate about driving systemic change and empowerment in their communities.
Communities need localized solutions, and no one knows the changes needed in a community as well as the community itself. The Empowered to Serve initiative represents a pivotal step in how the American Heart Association is investing in the future of public health by focusing on those who can make the most impact — young, passionate, and driven leaders from diverse backgrounds.
Achieving equitable health isn’t just aspirational — it’s a fundamental necessity if lives are to be saved. Health disparities don’t just harm individuals; they weaken entire communities. Attacking these gaps requires trust and collaboration among and with health professionals, local public and private organizations, and community leaders.
Diversity on healthcare boards of directors will help drive the United States toward health equity.
Black health presents board directors with one of their biggest challenges — Black families endure disproportionately higher rates of many illnesses than the general population. The average lifespan of Black people is nearly 5 years shorter than that of white people. As the governing body responsible for setting strategic goals and priorities for organizations, board directors in healthcare recognize their opportunity to reverse or reduce these health disparities.
The Black Directors Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA) brings Black board directors and executives from across the health ecosystem together to support continuous, effective action on
eliminating disparities amongst Black communities. To achieve a better future for the healthcare industry and the American public, the BDHEA has been working with corporate and nonprofit boards across the healthcare ecosystem to highlight the importance of advancing health equity in the boardroom to close the health disparity gap.
Governance plays a critical role Boards of directors have unique powers to address unequal access to healthcare services, disparities in health education, and lack of representation in clinical trials. Health organizations’ trustees drive policies and budgets, paving the way for transformative change. A board
with members from different racial, ethnic, gender, and professional backgrounds is better equipped to understand and address the unique healthcare needs of diverse populations, leading to more inclusive and effective healthcare strategies and improved financial performance.
Black representation on boards encourages innovative thinking, business transformation, and policy reform to advance health equity for Black Americans, and equal and fair healthcare for all. This is how systemic change works. Communities that strive for greater equity in healthcare boardrooms will make a real difference in health equity outcomes.
