Centering the Conversation Around Health Equity

In this episode, guest host Dr. Vishal Kumar interviews Dr. Ayanna Bennett about how to train ourselves to recognize perpetuated health disparities within the medical system and how we can actively work to dismantle them.

The doctors first talk about understanding racism on an institutional level, which results in a “machine” that selectively delivers better and worse aspects of healthcare to different populations. Dr. Bennett emphasizes that every disease process shows race disparities not because of inherent biological differences in racial groups, but because of unequal frequencies and quality of contact with healthcare systems.

Throughout the episode, they reference the allegories of Dr. Camara Jones, a physician-epidemiologist and civil rights activist. These allegories provide a framework for discussing nature vs. nurture for health outcomes and also privilege defined as the lack of barriers to entry.

In terms of actionable steps that providers can take toward reducing health inequity, Dr. Bennett encourages us to learn and engage with the communities that they serve. She advises us to be “counter-stereotypical” and show interest in patients’ lives outside of the healthcare setting. Finally, she calls us to analyze the impact that our institutions have on maintaining the health of the community as a whole, rather than solely focusing on individual patients.