The Challenge of Health Equity, and How Organizations Can Meet It

By Joel Landau

“It’s about giving people access to peace of mind, to economic security and to a brighter future. And that should belong to everyone, no matter where you come from, what your color, what language you speak. We think all Americans have that opportunity.”

But for truly meaningful change to occur, there are those who argue that the private sector must assert itself. Certainly there are examples of this happening, as when New York City-based Cityblock Health began focusing on marginalized communities and saw its value soar to $5.7 billion . As Myechia Minter-Jordan, M.D., president and CEO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, told the website Fierce Healthcare : “The opportunities to invest in any number of these areas are endless.” At the same time, she cautioned that such investors must pick and choose before deciding which opportunity might be right for them.

Certainly the Biden Administration favors telehealth, as indicated by the fact that in 2021 it put toward expanding such services to remote areas. One example of a place in which it might make a considerable difference is an 11,000-square-mile stretch of Texas, which as of 2019 was served by a single doctor .

Clearly, health equity is a challenging, complex issue. Just as clearly that challenge can only be met on multiple fronts, by multiple stakeholders, as there is no single solution, no magic bullet. All there is, is that North Star mentioned by Becerra — something for which everyone can aim, a goal to which everyone can aspire.

Originally published at https://joellandau.com.