WASHINGTON – The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing and amplifying disparities in our health care system as people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic. 

This sadly isn’t a new problem – for years public health care officials, caregivers and those living in these communities have known that public health, health care and health coverage are affected by socioeconomics and systemic racism.

Starting this week, FAH’s Hospitals In Focus podcast will examine these issues with a new series entitled “Advancing Health Equity.” Host and Federation President and CEO Chip Kahn will talk to experts about how things like living conditions, language barriers, transportation impediments and poor access to technology impact people’s health.

Each in-depth conversation will explore the role of hospitals, as well as how current practices and policies can be shaped to overturn current disparities and achieve greater health equity across race and ethnic lines.

Guests include:

• (RELEASED TODAY) Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, defines social determinants of health – and what steps providers can make to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
• Michael Crawford, Howard University’s Associate Dean for Strategy, Outreach and Innovation and Founder of 1867 Health Innovations Project, discusses the use of technology and data to change the dynamics of socioeconomic status, race, age, and chronic disease.
• Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL) talks about the Momnibus, her multifaceted effort to truly improve the health and well-being of expectant and post-partum mothers in the United States.
• Dr. Chidinma A. Ibe, Associate Director of Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Equity, speaks to the role of community health workers in addressing disparities in care.

We hope you will tune in to Hospitals In Focus: Advancing Health Equity, which can be found on your favorite podcast platform.
 

Follow us on Twitter @ChipKahn, @FAHhospitals