Introduction
Uché Blackstock, MD, is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity. She discussed current challenges and potential solutions to racial inequality in healthcare during a fireside chat hosted by Cure in partnership with the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
“We are in a critical moment in which we have been called upon to think about transformative change across society more broadly, especially in science and medicine, for how we can and must provide more equitable and quality care in order to close the gaps in racial health inequities,” said Blackstock.
To address disparities in health and healthcare, Blackstock founded Advancing Health Equity in 2019. Her mission is to partner with healthcare organizations to dismantle racism in healthcare and close the gap in racial health inequalities. The organization equips healthcare professionals with tools and strategies to provide racially equitable care and create anti-racist workplace cultures. She also shared how those in STEM careers and in medicine can work together to help solve inequality issues.
Family Nurse Practitioner Julius Johnson, DNP, added his views from the frontlines of community care. As a healthcare professional, he spent his career providing care to underserved communities. Johnson spoke on the importance of community health and laying the groundwork for community-led efforts to address healthcare disparities.
“In today’s busy world, you must go where your community feels most comfortable talking, said Johnson. “We cannot sit back and wait for change, we must create the change we want to see.”
“Efforts to advance equity and social justice in healthcare will require collaboration across multiple stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to address social determinants of health that underlie health equities,” said Seema Kumar, CEO of Cure. “We look forward to hearing from Uché and engaging her in a stimulating discussion about advancing healthcare and achieving equitable health outcomes.”
In 2019, Forbes recognized Blackstock as one of “10 Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazers You Need to Get Familiar With”. In 2020, she was one of 31 inaugural leaders awarded an unrestricted grant for her advocacy work from the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund.
Blackstock is the author of a generational memoir, Legacy: Racism in Medicine, which debuted in January 2024.