American Heart Association’s Post

Did you know? The term “health equity” first showed up in medical research in 1966, and ideas around health equity were championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during that decade. But it's seen a resurgence in the past 25 years. "Health equity is about fixing health gaps that are fixable," said Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health at Boston University. "And often, health inequity reflects an injustice, in that we have not paid enough attention to what can be fixed." Today the richest 1% of Americans have a life expectancy that's at least 10 years higher than those in the poorest 1%. Where a person lives can predict their likelihood of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and more. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought equity issues into the public consciousness. Death rates showed huge gaps along racial and ethnic lines. The nation confronted how someone's job, home and even internet access – factors known as social determinants of health - could be matters of life and death. While there’s still a lot of work to be done, Dr. Galea is optimistic about the future. Now, "there's a generation of public health scientists and practitioners who see health equity as being at the very heart of what they do." And as the American Heart Association enters its second century, we remain devoted to addressing inequality and the social determinants of health, advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere. #AHABoldHearts

Here’s an article I recommend this week. Adam Brown, MD MBA outlines the health inequities that plague America. He notes that average life expectancy in affluent neighborhoods is more than a decade higher than in underserved, diverse ones. The article focuses on the author’s experience in DC but unfortunately, disparities like this––that turn differences in class, race, educational level, and other factors into unequal health outcomes––exist across America. Adam correctly recognizes that implementing AI data technology is an essential tool to achieving health equity. Across our health ecosystem, we are witnessing a movement for greater health equity. You’re seeing it everywhere from Medicare Advantage plans to value-based models. Data helps providers view a person in their full risk environment, accounting for social determinants of health risk factors. It’s stories like these that motivate the data-driven work we do here at CareNu. #CareNuCares #HealthEquity #PopulationHealth #CareNuIsNow

Within the same city or county across the country, 20-30 years can separate life expectancy. How is this possible? And how can we let this continue? "The system has also been built on remnants of a racist, classist, and sexist past, and we must recognize that those remnants still influence policy decisions today. We also must confront inaccurate and inflammatory political rhetoric, diversify communication channels, and emphasize the importance of private investment. And, of course, providers, payers, business leaders, and policymakers must take an active role in changing the system both on population and individual levels." For more, take a look at my latest #article in MedPage Today. #HealthEquity #HealthcareForAll #MedPageToday #CommunityHealth #Collaboration #EquitableOutcomes #opinion ABIG Health University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MBA@UNC #Business #MBA #healthcarebusiness

🧠💔 Breaking Barriers in Understanding Alzheimer’s: Recent studies reveal a stark contrast in Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses between Black and White individuals. This isn't just data; it's a call to action. Why the disparity? It’s a complex mix of access to healthcare, socio-economic factors, and possibly underlying biases in our medical systems. But here’s the insight - recognizing these gaps is the first step towards equality in healthcare. 🔍✊ At The Color of Wellness Community, we must advocate for inclusive research and equitable healthcare practices that ensure everyone, regardless of race, receives the diagnosis and care they deserve. Check out diverse preventive wellness education at www.colorofwellness.co Let's unite to challenge the status quo and push for a future where health equity is not just an ideal, but a reality. #HealthEquity #AlzheimersAwareness #Inclusive #Healthcare

Do city leaders believe that prioritizing and funding health creates economic loss? We have seen that the exact opposite is true. A comprehensive report from 2022 looking at funding of a wide range of public health initiatives points to greater investment resulting in: ✅ Lower mortality rates ✅ Better mental health ✅ Higher birth weights ✅ Reduced health care costs overall In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2024 suggested that every $1 invested in public health yields up to $88 in improved health status and benefits to society. The Inland Empire is set to experience record growth - in fact most of the growth occurring in the state of California in the coming years will occur here. Now is the time to set the tone. Will that growth be an opportunity? It can be, if we put the right foundation in place now. Learn more about building healthy cities at our Institute for Healthy Cities Initiative luncheon on September 26. (See comments). #PublicHealth #HealthyCities #EconomicGrowth

"In the US, it is estimated that medical care only accounts for 10-20% of health outcomes while social determinants like education and income account for the remaining 80-90%." These numbers highlight how crucial it is to address social determinants when looking to make a positive impact on reducing health inequities. Place-based strategies offer a promising solution to reducing health inequities by harnessing the power of data and embracing the advantages of urban density to create transformative improvements in health outcomes for residents. By working together and utilizing these strategies, we can create cities that prioritize health equity, improve access to care, and foster well-being for all residents. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dBVSFE8W

👉 80% of our health status is determined by how and where we live; only 20% is medical intervention (Michael Marmot, 2015). 👇 This should be a guiding tenet for a new Labour Government seeking to rebuild our health and care services. Our post-war health service is hospital-centric. It is designed to treat infrequent and severe episodes of poor health, not manage long-term and complex co-morbidities. To tackle health inequities and improve population health outcomes requires concurrent and increased investment in prevention, primary care, and community health programs - and smoother integration with local government and social care to address the SDOH. 📣 I am delighted to share our working paper, 'A better old age? Improving health and care outcomes for the over-65s in the UK', published by Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, available here: https://lnkd.in/dg4QXGZ2 Focused on the challenges of caring for an aging population, Camilla Cavendish, Gabriel Moberg, and I identify inflection points where older people risk losing their independence (e.g. social isolation, avoidable admissions) and provide recommendations to retain independence (e.g. frailty MDTs, reablement programs). We advocate for tech solutions to facilitate coordination and collaboration across organisations; assess the future of the care workforce; and present long-term care funding options. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this report; we conducted over 60 interviews, alongside analysis of publicly available data. It is a working report and I welcome any feedback or comments you might have!! 💪

Do city leaders believe that prioritizing and funding health creates economic loss? We have seen that the exact opposite is true. A comprehensive report from 2022 looking at funding of a wide range of public health initiatives points to greater investment resulting in: ✅ Lower mortality rates ✅ Better mental health ✅ Higher birth weights ✅ Reduced health care costs overall In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2024 suggested that every $1 invested in public health yields up to $88 in improved health status and benefits to society. The Inland Empire is set to experience record growth - in fact most of the growth occurring in the state of California in the coming years will occur here. Now is the time to set the tone. Will that growth be an opportunity? It can be, if we put the right foundation in place now. Learn more about building healthy cities at our Institute for Healthy Cities Initiative luncheon on September 26. (See comments). #PublicHealth #HealthyCities #EconomicGrowth

Thank you to Dr. Jane M. Zhu for the opportunity to discuss health care and policy over lunch up on The Hill today! A primary care physician who studied at Duke and Harvard, Dr. Zhu is a local research rockstar right here in our own community, at Oregon Health & Science University! Dr. Zhu’s research “centers on health care access and quality, particularly on mental/behavioral health services, as well as provider incentives and organization of care.” I really enjoyed asking Dr. Zhu about a variety of topics related to our current broken health care “system” in the US and our robust conversation about opportunities to improve it. And the intersections of hospital care and public & behavioral health. Thank you for the research you do, Dr. Zhu! I first became aware of Dr. Zhu via a January article in the Oregonian about how Oregon has “failed to pay for the mental health system it needs.” Per the article: “More recently, a 2022 study by OHSU researcher Jane Zhu found that low reimbursement rates were a significant factor in behavioral health provider shortages, with providers reporting ‘horrifically low rates’ that weren’t commensurate with providers’ level of education, experience or skillsets.” Full article here: https://lnkd.in/gSMKBDt3 Looking up Dr. Zhu, I then saw a research article she had co-authored related to the concerns physicians have about the influence of private equity on the clinical environment. Dr. Zhu’s work was cited in a March 11, 2024 New England Journal of Medicine publication by Dr. Cary Gross and Dr. Giselle Corbie titled “Physicians in Private Equity Practices—Canaries in a Coal Mine?”, which stated: “Zhu et al found that many physicians in their sample viewed [private equity] (PE) involvement in health care negatively, with substantial concerns regarding physician well-being, health care costs, and health equity. Ominously, the small subgroup of PE-employed physicians reported lower satisfaction, autonomy, and likelihood of staying with their employer. Given the high burnout rates in health care overall, this finding warrants further investigation.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g9JVYsuY Thank you again for the time today, Dr. Zhu - amd for the research you are doing!!! #clinical #research #privateequity #behavioralhealth