Hastings Center News

Health Equity Summit

The Hastings Center presented a two-day virtual health equity summit on January 19  and 20, in collaboration with the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, and the American Hospital Association. A video of the event will be posted soon.

Day one— designed for the general public, as well as health professionals, researchers, and policymakers– explored the historical underpinnings of the inequities we see today, including the federal and state laws and socioeconomic determinants that have led to shorter longevity and a greater burden of chronic illness on communities of color. Speakers included Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the best-selling books, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and The Warmth of Other Suns; Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America; and David Williams, an internationally recognized scientist whose TED Talk entitled “How Racism Makes Us Sick” has been viewed over 1 million times.

Day two offered examples of promising strategies that policymakers, researchers, health care leaders, and caregivers can employ to address inequities through policy, clinical care, medical education, research, and community collaborations. Speakers included Daniel Dawes, a leader in the movement to advance health equity and a key figure in shaping the Mental Health Parity Act and the Affordable Care Act. Full agenda here.