The 5 Best Ways To Solve Healthcare Inequity

Vituity is committed to building a more equitable healthcare delivery system. We approach this through dedicated initiatives within our organization, but also through advocacy across the industry. Vituity CEO, Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, compiled five takeaways for hospital leaders from conversations he has led across the industry.

The stunning need to address care inequality

Wondering how long you’ll live? Research suggests that the best predictor isn’t your genetic code but your ZIP code. In Chicago and Washington, D.C., living in the right neighborhood can add nearly 30 years to your life. This suggests that social factors like poverty, pollution, crime, access to healthy food, and distance to care play crucial roles in health outcomes. Minorities and low-income Americans are disproportionately impacted by these social determinants.

1. Offer multiple ways to access care.

“While we’ve seen a boom in technology, virtual health, and really creative ways to engage patients, I've also seen a lot of patients get left behind,” said Dr. Tomlinson. Vituity has responded by finding ways to meet patients where, when, and how they need care, a concept called Health in Place. For example, Vituity’s street medicine programs provide medical care to unhoused people at shelters and encampments. In 2020, Tomlinson launched the Vituity Cares charitable foundation with a mission to provide health outreach to underserved communities.

2. Use technology to identify and bridge care gaps.

Devdutta Sangvai, MD, MBA, vice president of population health management at Duke University Health System, described how his organization assists patients with unmet health needs. When an individual presents to any of Duke’s clinics with elevated blood pressure, for example, the clinician flags the EHR. The patient is then referred to the appropriate department for further evaluation.

Learn more about Vituity’s commitment to healthcare justice

3. Find out how and where your patients prefer to receive care.

Surveys can provide valuable insights that can make outreach more effective. For example, Reginald Eadie, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Trinity Health of New England, led his system’s effort to establish drive-up COVID-19 testing in early 2020. However, survey data from some Trinity Health hospitals revealed that one-third of patients didn’t own cars. The organization therefore pivoted to a more community-based testing strategy.

4. Admit your mistakes.

As the previous example shows, missteps are common when it comes to health equity. Many executives urge their fellow leaders to act with humility and to be willing to pivot when new information comes along. Trinity Health used lessons learned from its COVID-19 testing program to launch a successful community-based vaccine effort, including a 24-hour pop-up clinic that benefited many essential workers. “Instead of us deciding what’s best for the community, we let the community tell us what’s best for them,” Dr. Eadie said.

Whether we’re meeting with patients online, in an office, or an emergency room, we need to manage that opportunity to get them healthier

Imamu Tomlinson , MD, MBA

CEO of Vituity and President of the Vituity Cares Foundation

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5. Create a culture where every patient is “ours.”

Traditionally, our health system has left care coordination and health promotion to primary care providers. However, uninsured patients (and those who can’t be seen during office hours) are likely to seek care in emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. Dr. Tomlinson therefore believes that to end health disparities, every clinician must be willing to play a role in primary and preventative care. “Whether we’re meeting with patients online, in an office, or an emergency room, we need to manage that opportunity to get them healthier,” he said.

In Conversation

Becker’s Healthcare conversation captures leaders’ advice for tackling inequality

In March 2022, Becker’s Healthcare sat down with three esteemed healthcare leaders interested in ending these healthcare disparities. All share a passion for meeting the needs of today’s patients and communities—particularly those in traditionally underserved areas.

Health system leaders discussed tangible ways to improve the accessibility of care for all patients, especially those in underserved communities.

Key learnings:

Patients' biggest obstacles to accessing care
Strategies to better meet the needs of underserved patient populations
How to foster a sense of inclusivity and belonging across your health system

Partnering to improve patient lives

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5 Simple Ways Hospitals Can Fight Healthcare Inequity