Hello there,
Last week, Aligning for Health participated in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, where we engaged in a series of insightful sessions and meaningful discussions with key leaders committed to advancing health equity. These conversations spanned various perspectives, all working to shape the future of health outcomes for individuals and communities.
The conference emphasized critical topics such as whole-person care, prevention, maternal health, and workforce development—all essential pillars for achieving health equity. The focus remained on improving and safeguarding access to care, especially for historically marginalized and overlooked populations. As many factors outside of traditional healthcare settings influence health outcomes, it’s imperative that interventions address the broader social determinants of health to ensure the well-being and protection of our communities.
Here are a few lessons we learned along the way:
- A Comprehensive and Equitable Approach to Black Women’s Health
Black women’s health demands an intersectional, all-encompassing approach. Our lives are multifaceted, and so too must be our solutions. Data collection can play a crucial role in validating the lived experiences of Black women, turning data into a community-building tool. It provides validation, uncovers gaps, and highlights the urgent need for direct, targeted interventions. People should never feel alone in their stories—data can offer the empowerment needed to drive change.
- Health Equity Must Include Older Adults
Achieving health equity requires ensuring that older adults are not left out of critical conversations. Aging populations deserve the same focus on inclusion and support that we advocate for other marginalized groups. Their health outcomes depend on it.
- Clinical Trials: Expanding Access and Trust
Clinical trials hold immense potential to advance health equity, yet participation alone is not enough, and to even ensure participation, providers and teams must consider a patient’s ability to access the care if suggested. Clinicians must actively engage older adults and marginalized populations in these trials, ensuring they have access to cutting-edge treatments. Trust-building efforts are particularly essential within Black communities. Addressing historical and systemic barriers is key to increasing access and ensuring that Black patients can fully benefit from the latest scientific advances.
- Reconceptualizing Healthcare to See the Whole Person
To truly advance health outcomes, we must rethink healthcare to go beyond biomarkers and view patients holistically. Systems that see people in their full context will provide more effective care, leading to improved outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Designing Inclusive Systems: Moving Beyond Education to Structural Change
Our current systems were built with exclusion in mind. Addressing inequities requires policies that move beyond education to create inclusive, productive systems for all communities. The housing crisis and limited access to transportation underscore the vast gaps in our social and health infrastructures. Affordable housing, quality transportation, and nutritious food must be accessible as the baseline standard—not privileges for the few.
- Transforming Healthcare Training to Address Biases
Implicit biases, particularly those affecting Black and African American patients, are undermining health outcomes. While it is essential that future healthcare providers receive a curriculum that addresses these biases, there is an equally pressing need to retrain and upskill the current workforce. Issues like pain bias cannot continue to compromise patient care.
- Local Solutions as Powerful Catalysts
Local interventions are as crucial as federal and state-level strategies. Ground-up solutions have the potential to meet unique community needs and drive significant change from within. Localized efforts must be supported and seen as equally valuable to broader-scale initiatives.
- Public-Private Partnerships: A Balanced Approach
The intersection of public and private sectors holds great promise for addressing the social determinants of health. True interventions require quality, and this is where public-private partnerships can thrive. The private sector has a critical role to play in bolstering the public sector’s capacity, creating a balanced ecosystem for sustainable and impactful change.
- The Emergence of Digital Determinants of Health
Beyond traditional social determinants of health, digital determinants—such as broadband access, community infrastructure, and digital literacy—are becoming increasingly essential. We must look beyond access to digital resources and consider the quality and impact of these services on health equity. Interventions must address both access and usability to ensure all communities can fully participate in the digital age.
In reflecting on these key lessons, we remain committed to ensuring our advocacy efforts are firmly rooted in the realities of the communities we serve, driving transformative change to address systemic disparities. Aligning for Health is proud to continually evolve our priorities to align with the needs voiced by those most affected. Our time at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference allowed us to engage with inspiring individuals and organizations, sparking thought-provoking conversations that challenged and expanded our perspectives. We look forward to building on the meaningful connections forged at this event, strengthening our collective pursuit of health equity.
Please reach out to Ashila Jiwani at ajiwani@aligningforhealth.org
for further details or with any questions you may have.
Thank you,
Ashley Gray and Ashila Jiwani
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