Batteries Not Included: Powering Health Equity
Dr. Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, Core Investigator and Health Scientist, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and Lecturer, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania, talked about ways to infuse equity into our work. He spoke about doing things that excite and empower yourself, while taking down barriers that impose unequal chances for good outcomes. He encouraged us to go beyond equality and equity to justice.
“How do we power health equity within health care,” Dr. Jenkins asked, using an analogy of receiving Hot Wheels as a child that did not come with batteries.
He warned it will take more than buzzwords, a single statement, and hiring a chief diversity officer.
Dr. Jenkins shared the seven A’s of racism focused trauma informed care: awareness, affordability, acceptability, accessibility, availability, accommodation, accountability.
He said at this time, misinformation is the new barrier to access for people and advised that hospital leaders question how they can expand access to information.
“We have to think every day: How can I expand access for people?” Dr. Jenkins said. “Achieving equality in outcomes requires equity in our process.”
He also said there are metrics that hospital leaders can use to measure effectiveness and hold themselves accountable.
“It doesn’t matter what we do if we aren’t going to hold ourselves, our organizations, and our partners accountable,” he said.
View Dr. Jenkins' presentation here.