Centering Health Equity

In this episode of Centering Health Equity, our distinguished guests Dr. Somava Saha and Dr. Danica Sumpter speak about why healthcare organizations must look beyond individual bias training to tackle systemic racism. We discuss how operational practices—from billing and algorithms to resource distribution—drive health disparities, and they urge leaders to move from blame to "critical love" by sharing power with marginalized communities to build truly restorative healthcare systems.

In this episode of Centering Health Equity, we were joined by Dr. Giridhar Mallya of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller of the Colorado Health Foundation to explore how philanthropy is responding to federal funding cuts, growing resistance to health equity initiatives, and the resulting challenges facing public health and community-based organizations. The conversation examines the real-world consequences of reduced funding, including lost research data, diminished healthcare access, and threats to trusted community programs, while highlighting how foundations, nonprofits, and legal advocates are sustaining essential services through collaboration, strategic funding, legal support, and narrative change.

This episode explores the disproportionate impact of heart disease on Black communities, highlighting how structural inequities, chronic stress, social drivers of health, and systemic bias contribute to poorer cardiovascular outcomes beyond genetics alone. Expert guests Dr. Kardie Taub and Dr. Himika Rahman discuss practical solutions—including community partnerships, culturally competent care, data-driven accountability, and policy reforms—to reduce disparities, rebuild trust in healthcare, and advance health equity.

This episode of the podcast focuses on how Medicaid 1115 waivers can be used as powerful tools to advance health equity by allowing states to test innovative approaches that address not only medical care, but also social drivers of health such as housing, food security, and transportation. Featuring, James Hickman, Founder, Hickman Strategies LLC and Dora Barilla, DrPH,President, Co-founder, HC2 Strategies, the conversation highlights that while policy and funding are important, relationships, trust, and community partnerships are ultimately the foundation for building connected communities of care and improving health outcomes for underserved populations.

This episode explores how healthcare systems often fall short for neurodivergent individuals — including people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences — and why that gap is a major health equity issue. Featuring Dr. Lawrence Fung of Stanford and Roger Broadbent of Empower Passport, the conversation highlights barriers in diagnosis, provider training, access, and sensory-friendly care, along with practical solutions for more personalized, neurodiversity-affirming healthcare. This episode centers on how systems, communities, and leaders can help create more inclusive care for every neurotype.

This episode explores the pervasive issue of medical debt in the United States and how it disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income patients. Our guests share how their organizations reduce medical debt through different but complementary approaches—one by buying and abolishing debt in bulk, and the other by helping patients access hospital charity care. We discuss why hospital financial assistance programs are hard to navigate, the systemic flaws that create medical debt, and how both nonprofits advocate for more equitable, patient-centered solutions

This episode examines the evolving healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ community and the challenges health systems face in delivering affirming, high-quality care. With nearly 8% of the U.S. population—and one in five Gen Z adults—identifying as LGBTQ+, the need for inclusive, trauma-informed care is more urgent than ever. We discuss the impact of recent executive orders, the growing visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals—especially among Gen Z—and what providers must do to address disparities, improve mental health support, and create safer, more responsive healthcare environments for all LGBTQ+ patients.

In this episode of Centering Health Equity, Lupe Alonso-Diaz, President and CEO of Physicians for a Healthy California, and Dr. Reggie Tucker-Seeley, the Principal of Health Equity Strategies and Solutions, unpack the results of the 2024 California’s Chief Health Equity Officers Study. This research was commissioned by the California Health Care Foundation and it’s the first to review this role within a health system and their unique experiences in advancing health equity. Join us as we break down the study’s findings and share actionable strategies for those who lead health equity initiatives. 

This episode highlights two new online platforms to support the mental health needs of children and young adults in California. We explore the depth of mental health challenges that are often particularly challenging among marginalized communities and how the use of online apps can reduce these behavioral health inequities. We feature two programs that are supported by CalHOPE in partnership with the California Mental Health Services Association. Learn more at https://solunaapp.com and https://www.hellobrightline.com or at https://www.centeringhealthequity.com

In this episode of Centering Health Equity, we speak with Dr. Sheldon Fields, President of the National Black Nurses Association, and Dr. Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce about the unique role nurses have in advancing health equity. We discuss the importance of patient centered care, addressing health inequities at the system level, and the key opportunities nurses have to promote health equity. Both of our guests highlight the difficult challenges the nursing profession faces as a whole and share further challenges that nurses from marginalized groups can face.