Transforming Health Systems: Closing Gaps in Disparities, Diversity, and Determinants of Health
Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the most entrenched problems in healthcare – including the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in care and span the continuum. Disparities in care reflect not just care received, but accessibility of care and affordability and are especially problematic in aging care. But what can be done to address this deeply-seated issue? How can organizations make real change when socioeconomic factors, physical environment, and health behaviors all can impact health?
Learn about one organization’s transformative journey to address disparities in care. In this webinar, ProMedica’s CEO, Randy Oostra and their Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Greg Braylock, shared about how their health equity journey began with a choice: to rise to the longstanding and ignored problems posed by gaps associated with disparities and a lack of diversity in healthcare by aligning their missions and services around social determinants of health.
Learning objectives
During this informational webinar, speakers discussed:
- Embedding a strategy to address the social determinants of health into organization culture
- Collaboration with community partners and its importance in improving community health
- Steps that ProMedica continues to take to close these healthcare gaps and drive new solutions
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Agenda & Speakers
Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Marcus Schabacker became President and Chief Executive Officer of ECRI Institute, an independent, trusted authority on the medical practices and products that provide the safest, most cost-effective care, in January 2018. A board-certified anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist, Dr. Schabacker has 35 years of healthcare experience and 20 years of senior leadership responsibilities serving the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. He held leadership roles in medical affairs, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory affairs, quality, research and development, and patient safety. After receiving his medical and academic training at the Medical University of Lubeck, Germany, Dr. Schabacker served as senior medical officer at the Mafikeng General Hospital in South Africa as part of a humanitarian aid program to support the African National Congress government under Nelson Mandela. Dr. Schabacker is an affiliate assistant professor at The Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.
Randy Oostra, DM, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer, ProMedica
Dr. Oostra is regarded as one of the nation’s top leaders in health care and has earned a spot on several prestigious listings, which include Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People for four consecutive years and was recognized in 2020 as the 21st Most Influential person in the healthcare industry; and as Becker’s Hospital Review 100 Great Leaders to Know in Healthcare for 2019. He has 40 years of health care and management expertise, with 22 of those years spent at ProMedica, a not-for-profit mission-based, integrated health and well-being organization. The organization has more than 56,000 employees, 13 hospitals, 2,600 physicians and advanced practice providers with privileges, 900+ healthcare providers employed by ProMedica Physicians, a health plan, and more than 400 assisted living facilities, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, memory care communities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospice and home health care agencies.
Greg Braylock, Jr.
Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Officer, ProMedica
Greg Braylock, Jr. is passionate about community, leadership, young people and learning, and looks for ways to have a measurable and lasting impact on people’s lives, organizations, and communities. Married to Tracie – a nurse, mom, and entrepreneur – Greg and his wife have four young children, and reside in Toledo, OH. In this role with ProMedica, Braylock leads the organization’s work to build a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity, and creates equity in the workplace, healthcare, and community. Having been with ProMedica since 2013, Greg previously served as vice president of operations in the metro Toledo acute care division. Prior to joining ProMedica, Greg worked for United Way of Greater Toledo where he led strategies to counter the social, economic, and public health issues that create disparities in education and life outcomes for young people and families.