Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Office of Minority Health should expect to be dissolved —a move that’s received far too little attention for the weight it carries.
For decades, this office has played a central role in confronting health disparities that disproportionately affect Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other historically marginalized communities. From funding community-based initiatives to shaping policy and research, the work of the OMH has been critical in pushing our health systems to see and address structural inequities.
Dismantling this office isn’t just administrative—it sends a message. One that risks unraveling years of advocacy, research, and culturally competent care models that have started to make a dent in centuries-old disparities that W.E.B Dubois wrote about in the 1890s.
The public health community cannot afford to be silent. We must continue to advocate, organize, and hold institutions accountable for the health of all communities.
#HealthEquity#PublicHealth#HealthDisparities
AI in healthcare isn’t as neutral as you think.
AI could harm the very patients it’s meant to help.
Without addressing the bias, we will never be able to benefit from the good.
Here’s how we can fix it.
1. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
AI models are only as good as the data they are trained on. Unfortunately, many datasets lack diversity, often overrepresenting patients from certain regions or demographics. Ensuring datasets are inclusive of all populations is key to reducing bias.
2. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
AI tools must be tested across diverse populations before deployment. Studies have highlighted how biased algorithms can worsen health disparities at every stage of development. Rigorous validation ensures that these tools perform equitably for all patients.
3. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
Healthcare professionals need to understand how AI models make decisions. Lack of transparency can lead to mistrust and misuse. Explainable AI not only builds trust but also helps identify and correct biases in the system.
4. 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵
Bias mitigation requires collaboration between AI developers, clinicians, policy makers, and patient advocates. Diverse perspectives help identify blind spots and create solutions that work for everyone.
5. 𝗢𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
Bias doesn’t stop at deployment. Continuous monitoring is needed to ensure AI tools adapt to new data and evolving healthcare needs. For instance, algorithms trained on outdated or incomplete data may maintain errors over time.
Only by addressing these areas, can we see the benefits of AI in healthcare, such as reducing errors, aiding diagnoses, and personalizing treatments for all.
What steps are your organization taking to ensure fairness in AI healthcare tools?
“I am going to kill a Black woman today.”
👆. I highly doubt that any doctor, nurse, or midwife wakes up thinking this.
And yet, the data tells a different story.
👉. In the U.K., Black women and birthing people are 3 times more likely to die during pregnancy or within six weeks postpartum than White women. Asian women face 1.8 times the risk.
👉. In the U.S., Black women are 3.5 times more likely to die. Indigenous women face 2 to 3 times the risk.
👉. In Nigeria, maternal mortality stands at 576 per 100,000 live births—the fourth highest globally. Each year, 262,000 newborns die at birth, the second highest national toll worldwide.
👉. In Norway, immigrant women—especially from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and in particular, Somalia—experience significantly higher rates of adverse maternal outcomes, even in low-risk settings.
👉. Across Europe, perinatal mortality is consistently higher for non-European migrants.
This is not just a crisis. It is a pattern. A system functioning exactly as it was designed.
So when Astrid Sundberg asked me on a panel (by Operation Smile Norge) what’s needed to shift health equity over the next 5–10 years and who’s responsible, my response was clear:
Health Equity Requires More Than Access—It Requires Power Redistribution.
🔺. Four Critical Actions:
1️⃣ . Redesign Healthcare for Equity:
Move beyond a one-size-fits-all model. Healthcare must be community-driven, culturally competent, and centered on prevention, not just treatment. Fund solutions co-created with those historically excluded.
2️⃣. Reform Funding & Policy Structures:
Shift from short-term, reactive funding to sustained investment in public health, workforce diversity, and the social determinants of health. Policies must dismantle the economic inequities driving health disparities.
3️⃣. Reclaim Data & Narrative Power:
Who collects, interprets and controls health data controls who gets prioritized. Decolonize research, center lived experiences, and redefine what "health outcomes" mean on our terms.
4️⃣. Enforce Accountability for Health Justice:
Pledges are meaningless without enforcement. Governments, corporations, and institutions must be held to measurable commitments—not performative inclusion, but real shifts in power.
⭕. Who is Responsible?
Everyone with power to shape outcomes.
👉. Governments must legislate systemic protections.
👉. The private sector must invest in ethical, inclusive healthcare innovation.
👉. Researchers & medical institutions must challenge biases in care and treatment.
👉. Communities most impacted must not just have a seat at the table—they must set the agenda.
The real question isn’t just who is responsible—it’s who is willing to surrender power to create real change?
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I finally had the honor of sharing the stage with the incredible Ishita Barua, MD PhD—She's absolutely phenomenal. Also on the panel were exceptional practitioners Lumbwe Chola, Jennifer Gilbertson, and Tish Gilbert.
The U.S. faces a growing problem: diminishing access to physicians and health care services for 60 million people living in rural communities. Rural residents face longer travel times to receive care and there is increased pressure on those physicians remaining in the community.
In a new piece in Healthcare Dive, I outline seven policies to reshape rural primary care and support the growth or the rural primary care physician workforce.
1. Tax credits for physicians practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas
2. Professional liability insurance coverage via Federal Tort Claims Act
3. Tax deduction for teaching and mentoring medical students and residents in rural practices
4. Rural Medicare payment enhancement
5. Prompt pay in Medicare Advantage
6. Strengthen the Healthy Americans incentive
7. Direct contracting with primary care physicians for Medicare and Medicaid patients
Rural communities deserve access to high quality, accessible primary care. I challenge the new Congress and administration to seek bold policy changes that that make this a reality for the millions of Americans who call these rural communities home.
https://lnkd.in/eRz3g2Kw
We solved half the problem & thought we bridged the gap.
Ever worked on a solution that looked perfect on paper… but ended up creating more problems than it solved?
That’s exactly what happened when I was called in to review a telehealth solution.
It was well-designed, checked all the cybersecurity boxes, & allowed patients to consult doctors remotely.
The project requirement was clear: enable remote consultations.
And the solution delivered exactly that.
But here’s the thing:
While healthcare systems often operate in silos, patients experience their care as one continuous journey.
And this solution missed critical parts of that journey:
🔸 No easy way to book follow-ups. Patients had to call, leading to missed care.
🔸 Medication collection still required hours of travel, making the platform’s convenience meaningless.
🔸 Administrative staff were overloaded, causing delays in care coordination.
We solved one problem & unintentionally created three more.
The solution was designed for the system’s convenience, not the patient’s journey.
To shift the perspective, we expanded the conversation to include voices we hadn’t considered:
🔸 Pharmacists: To integrate medication delivery into the process
🔸 Community Health Workers: To provide local, hands-on support
🔸 Family Caregivers: To highlight logistical & emotional challenges at home
🔸 IT Teams: To automate follow-ups & reduce administrative burden
🔸 Local Transport Providers: To enable last-mile delivery of medications
With these insights, we redesigned the solution into a comprehensive care experience:
✅ Patients could book follow-ups easily & get automated reminders
✅ Medications were delivered directly to their homes
✅ Caregivers & community workers ensured patients didn’t fall through the cracks
I later learned that:
🔸 Missed follow-ups dropped by 40%.
🔸 Medication adherence & health outcomes improved significantly.
The redesigned platform didn’t just connect patients to doctors, it completed the care journey.
Next time you’re working on a solution, consider these points:
1️⃣ Patients see one journey
While systems operate in silos, patients experience care as a unified process.
2️⃣ Identify all stakeholders
Both direct & indirect voices like caregivers, pharmacists & community workers, are essential to closing gaps.
3️⃣ Design for continuity
Address every touchpoint in the patient’s journey, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Have you worked on solutions where overlooked stakeholders made all the difference? What’s one gap you discovered that changed everything?
#DigitalHealth#Innovation#HealthcareTransformation#PatientExperience#Collaboration
💡This post is part of 'Rethinking Digital Health Innovation' (RDHI), empowering professionals to transform digital health beyond IT and AI myths.
💡Find the ongoing series and resources on our companion website (URL in comments).
💡 Repost if this message resonates with you!
After working with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRc) to review pregnancy-related death cases and develop the 2023 joint biennial DSHS-MMMRC report, I started to appreciate the need for:
1- Life course perspective to address maternal health crisis,
2- Targeted interventions and policies for rural areas, and
3- chronic disease prevention and management.
My research now revolves around looking at how we can use the life course approach to address the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in Texas and the US.
That is why I published a commentary with my amazing colleagues: Ninfa Peña-Purcell, PhD, MCHES; Robin Page, PhD, APRN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN; Emesomhi Eboreime; and Dr. Alva Ferdinand.
In this article, we argued that interventions and policies must use the life course approach to combat rising rates of chronic diseases in women and girls.
Chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension, are among the leading causes of adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes.
The life course approach helps us examine health longitudinally rather than cross-sectionally, with the focus shifting to primary prevention rather than secondary and tertiary prevention.
Please share your comments about the article in the comments.
⏩ Read the article here : https://lnkd.in/gFri988S#maternalhealth#lifecourseapproach#ruralhealth#healthequity#chronicdisease#chronicconditions#lifecourseperspective
The National Vital Statics Report on U.S. birth trends has been released. This year has shown a decrease in overall birth rates, with significant patterns in age-specific fertility and prenatal care dynamics. Such insights not only shed light on public health strategies but also provide a crucial lens through which employers can enhance workplace policies.
Key findings:
-A decline in the general fertility rate and specific decreases across different age groups.
-A notable reduction in early prenatal care and smoking during pregnancy.
-Changes in delivery methods, including a slight increase in cesarean rates.
-Stability in Medicaid as a primary source for delivery payments, indicating the ongoing importance of supportive healthcare policies.
Employers play a pivotal role in supporting the workforce, especially expectant and new parents.
Here are 10 strategic solutions that can be implemented to foster a supportive work environment:
1- Flexible Working Hours: Adapt work schedules to accommodate prenatal appointments and postpartum needs.
2- Remote Work Options: Provide options for telecommuting to help manage pregnancy-related fatigue and doctor's visits.
3- Extended Parental Leave: Offer more generous leave policies to support parental bonding and childcare.
4- Fertility Benefits: Enhance healthcare coverage to fertility care.
5- Onsite Childcare: Establish or subsidize childcare facilities at or near the workplace to ease the burden on working parents or increased daycare funds.
6- Employee Assistance Programs: Offer programs that provide counseling and support for prenatal and postnatal care.
7- Education and Training: Conduct workshops on family planning, prenatal health, and parenting to educate employees.
8- Support for Breastfeeding Mothers: Provide private, comfortable spaces for breastfeeding and allow breaks as needed.
9-Return-to-Work Programs: Create phased return-to-work options for new parents to ease the transition while maintaining career trajectories.
10- Wellness Programs: Implement programs focused on maternal health and stress management to support overall well-being.
As we move forward, understanding and adapting to the evolving demographic trends will be key in crafting effective corporate policies that align with the needs of a diverse workforce.
What is your organization doing to support families? List it in the comments ⬇️
#employeebenefits#parentalsupport
Who gets to define value in healthcare?
That’s the question at the heart of the latest episode of Patient Advocacy Voices, where I had the opportunity to speak with Derek Flowers, Executive Director of the Value of Care Coalition, alongside Kate Tighe.
In this episode, Derek shares how the Value of Care Coalition works to ensure the perspectives of patients are at the center of healthcare policy discussions that affect access, affordability, and value. We also explore the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement, and how data, lived experience, and collaboration can help advance policies that remove barriers to patient access.
My key takeaways from our conversation:
🔷Defining value must consider more than cost. This can only happen with input from the patients who are affected and their clinicians. It’s just common sense.
🔷Policy proposals need to solve for patients; they cannot be theoretical. The real test of any affordability proposal is what happens to patients in real life: Did they pay less? Did they get care faster? Did their healthcare provider have the right options? Good policy should make a real difference for patients, not create new barriers, delays, or burdens.
🔷Good advocacy creates a platform for others. As Derek shared, the goal is not to replace the voices of patients, caregivers, clinicians, or advocacy organizations, but to bring those voices together through education, data, resources, and opportunities to engage.
🔷Stay focused on the big goal, but be flexible in how you get there. One of Derek's most practical leadership lessons was to remain agile in your approach while staying committed to your mission.
Thank you, Derek, for an insightful conversation and for your leadership in helping elevate patient voices in healthcare policy.
🎧 To hear all of the insights, I invite you to listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/d8ZQw2FA#PatientAdvocacy#PatientAdvocacyVoices
Physician Hospital CEO | Honorary Professor at UCL | Author, Connected Care | Newsweek & Forbes Top International Healthcare Leader | Host, The Chief Healthcare Officer Podcast
Technology Is the Connector — and Pharmacy Leaders Are Using It to Expand Access
Connected Care is no longer just a concept—it’s happening now, powered by technology and led by pharmacy teams.
Becker's Healthcare recently highlighted how health systems across the U.S. are leveraging digital tools to bring care closer to patients. From virtual prescribing to automated prior authorizations, from centralized dispensing hubs to mobile infusion units—these innovations are breaking traditional barriers in access.
Here’s how technology is driving impact:
- Digital platforms like Intermountain’s On-Demand service allow patients to access contraception, naloxone, and more—without a physical visit.
- Telepharmacy models are enabling medication therapy management in rural and underserved communities.
- EHR integration is optimizing medication safety and coordination, especially for chronic diseases.
- Mobile and same-day delivery solutions are transforming the last mile of care, bringing meds directly to doorsteps.
- Data-driven workflows are embedding pharmacists into specialty care to fast-track therapy and reduce wait times.
What we’re seeing is more than operational change—it’s the evolution of care delivery. When tech tools are built around patient needs and used by empowered clinical teams, we achieve what Connected Care truly stands for: continuity, personalization, and equity.
It’s time we stop thinking of pharmacy as a silo—and start recognizing it as a digital front door to better health.
Link to article: https://lnkd.in/e5ZDG_se#ConnectedCare#DigitalHealth#PharmacyTech#Telepharmacy#HealthEquity#HealthcareInnovation#BeckersHealthcare