The Health Disparities Podcast

In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Dr. Mary O’Connor talks with Angela Strain, Executive Director of We Care Jax. For over 30 years, this organization has connected uninsured and under-resourced neighbors to lifesaving specialty care.   Angela shares powerful patient stories and draws on years of experience to show what it takes to remove barriers, build trust, and create a safety net that truly helps people. She explains real-world obstacles like transportation, language barriers, and the financial burden of illness, and highlights community-driven solutions that help people get the care they need.   Angela and Dr. O’Connor discuss We Care Jax’s approach and share stories from the patients they serve, exploring topics such as: Community health workers use persistence, trust, and cultural insight to uncover the real reasons behind missed appointments or labels like “non‑compliant.” Common specialty needs include cardiology, pulmonology, oncology, and advanced imaging, supported by a network of volunteer physicians. Transportation support, hotel stays, translation services, and food access function as essential parts of healthcare, not optional add‑ons. Florida’s expansion of the Volunteer Provider Program and the urgent need for increased dental funding are highlighted as key policy issues. Peer‑to‑peer physician recruitment, strong hospital partnerships, and donor investment help sustain a model rooted in community trust. Angela also talks about the heart of her work: making sure every patient leaves with no medical debt, their dignity intact, and a real chance to heal. Her stories, including patients moving from homelessness to stable housing and from fear to treatment, show why compassionate, community-centered care is so important.   This episode is full of stories and insights for anyone working in health equity, community health, philanthropy, public health, or systems change.   Subscribe to hear more conversations about community-driven solutions, health equity, and efforts to eliminate disparities.

What does real community‑centered health equity look like, and what does it take to sustain it? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Jerail Fennell sits down with two powerful leaders in community health: Dr. Atiya Abdelmalik and ReGina Newkirk Rucci. Together, they unpack the lived experiences, grassroots strategies, and relationship‑building that fuel their work across the country. From disrupting harmful systems to investing in local leadership, Dr. A and ReGina share what it truly means to listen to communities, partner with them, and build solutions that last. Drawing from their work with the Center for Thriving Communities, they discuss: Why lived experience is essential to leadership How grassroots organizations are transforming health outcomes The importance of listening before acting What funders and institutions must do differently Why hope, collective care, and community power still drive the movement How real relationships — not extractive engagement — create lasting change Dr. A also reflects on her book, A Life Worth Saving, and the belief that every life and every community deserves to thrive. A must‑hear conversation for anyone working in health equity, community engagement, philanthropy, public health, or systems change. Subscribe for more conversations on health equity, community leadership, and the movement to eliminate disparities.

How do we protect and advance health equity in a rapidly changing political and legal landscape? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, host Christin Zollicoffer sits down with Dr. Giridhar Mallya — family physician, policy leader, and Senior Policy Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — to explore the future of health and racial equity work. Dr. Mallya shares how his family’s immigrant story shaped his belief in the power of policy, and why funders must stay committed to equity even as restrictive laws and legal challenges grow across the country. He breaks down what organizations can do to stay mission‑aligned, legally sound, and resilient. In this episode, Dr. Mallya discusses: Why health equity remains a core priority for major funders How philanthropy is supporting legal defense strategies Practical ways organizations can navigate legal uncertainty Why equity should be integrated — not hidden — in health initiatives Lessons from states like Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama How personal experience and clinical practice shape Dr. Mallya’s approach A powerful conversation for funders, practitioners, and community leaders working to advance equity in challenging times. Subscribe to The Health Disparities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite platform.

What does it take to rise after life tells you “you can’t”? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, we sit down with Grace Moore—Financial Empowerment Specialist, Founder, Speaker, and 2025 Movement Is Life Health Summit Speaker—whose journey is a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative force of mindset. At just 17, Grace was told she would never walk again. After waking from a nap with her left leg paralyzed, she faced a defining crossroads: accept limitation or choose possibility. She chose movement—of the body, the mind, and the spirit. Today, Grace speaks from the lens of the patient, sharing what it looks like to keep moving forward while living with daily pain. Her message is simple but profound: we can choose to be “up and able” rather than “down and defeated.” Grace also brings her expertise in financial wellness to the conversation, highlighting how financial empowerment—especially for seniors—directly connects to health equity, stability, and community well‑being. She breaks down the barriers people face, the myths that hold them back, and the power of language to either uplift or limit our lives. In this episode, Grace opens up about: • Her journey from paralysis to purpose • How mindset can shift the trajectory of your life • Why financial empowerment is a health equity issue • The importance of speaking life into yourself and others • Her upcoming journal, Graceful Movement, and how it helps readers embrace pain with compassion and courage Grace’s story is a reminder that movement isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, mental, and deeply personal. Her voice is one of hope, empowerment, and unwavering belief in what’s possible. Never miss an episode—subscribe to The Health Disparities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

What does it really take for women to break free from burnout and reclaim their health, confidence, and power? In this episode of The Health Disparities Podcast, we sit down with fitness entrepreneur and wellness leader Tyneka Pack, Founder & CEO of IMPACKT Fitness, to explore how movement can transform not just bodies, but entire careers and communities. Tyneka shares how her own journey through exhaustion and imbalance fueled her mission to help women lead with strength, clarity, and sustainability. From dismantling fitness myths to building workplace cultures that actually support well‑being, she breaks down what true wellness looks like—beyond the gym and beyond the highlight reel. She also reflects on the systemic barriers that shape women’s health, the importance of accessible wellness spaces, and why taking imperfect action is the key to lasting change. Plus: Upcoming events you won’t want to miss How organizations can champion health equity Why more women are finally prioritizing their health and wealth Never miss an episode—subscribe to The Health Disparities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

Mental health is an important part of our overall health, but many people confront barriers that keep them from accessing the mental health care they need. A program in Boston aims to  address mental health disparities by disrupting traditional health care models. The Boston Emergency Services Team, or BEST, is led by Dr. David Henderson, chief of psychiatry at Boston Medical Center.  BEST brings together mental health providers, community resources, law enforcement, and the judicial system to deliver care to people in need of mental health services. Henderson says bringing mental health providers alongside police responding to calls for service for mental health needs has helped reduce the number of people with mental illness ending up in jails and prisons. “The criminal justice system has, by default, become one of the largest mental health systems … around the country as well,” Henderson says. “People with mental illness are in jails and prisons, at a percentage that they really should not be.” In a conversation that first published in 2024, Henderson speaks with Movement Is Life’s Hadiya Green about what it takes to ensure people in need of mental health services get the help they need, why it’s important to train providers to recognize unconscious biases, and what it means to provide trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care.

When it comes to addressing health disparities, it’s critically important that healthcare providers and researchers take a proactive approach to building trust with the communities we aim to serve. As founding director of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities at UC Davis, Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola has decades of experience with this approach. “It is possible to overcome the barriers of access to care if we can change our paradigm,” he says. “ In this episode of the Health Disparities podcast, Dr. Aguilar speaks with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Zachary Lum about his work, which focuses on health disparities, mental health in underserved populations, community-engaged research and Latino health.  Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts

In the late-1980s, Father Gregory Boyle witnessed the devastating  impact of gang violence in his community during the so-called Decade of  Death that peaked at 1,000 gang-related  killings in 1992 in Los Angeles.  In the face of criminal justice policies of  suppression and mass incarceration, Father Boyle and community members adopted what was a radical approach – at the time – to treat gang members as human  beings. In 1988, they started what would eventually become Homeboy  Industries, which employs and trains former gang members in a range of  social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of  men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Father Greg Boyle spoke with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Bonnie Simpson Mason for an episode that was originally published in 2020.

There’s no single fix to closing gaps in health care outcomes, says Dr. Maureen Bell, physician director of community impact at Vituity, where she leads efforts to identify and eliminate health disparities.  “There are multiple things that we have to work on,” Bell says, including increasing diversity in the healthcare workforce and educating providers on strategies for providing equitable care and considering the “whole patient.” Bell spoke with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Joyce Knestrick about how systemic bias, lack of representation, and community barriers shape the care patients receive.  She said inequities persist because too often, health systems focus narrowly on medical interventions while overlooking social factors — such as affordability, access, transportation, and the environments in which people live. The 2025 Movement Is Life Annual Summit will take place on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is “Combating Health Disparities: The Power of Movement in Community.” Registration is now open. Visit movementislifecommunity.org for more information. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts

When orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lattisha Bilbrew looks at a knee X-ray, she’s not just checking for arthritis or bone alignment. She’s studying shades of muscle and fat — clues to a patient’s strength, resilience and untapped potential. “Sometimes I’ll have a woman come in and say, ‘I’m overweight,’” Bilbrew says. “And I’ll look at her X-rays and say, ‘Yes, I see the fat — but you’ve got tons of muscle under there. You should try strength training.’” It’s that mix of empathy and empowerment that defines Bilbrew’s approach to orthopedic care — and why she’s been tapped as the keynote speaker for this year’s Movement is Life Annual Summit, themed “Combating Health Disparities: The Power of Movement and Community.” In this episode, Bilbrew speaks with Movement Is Life’s Christin Zollicoffer about her passion for medicine, which began when she was a young child growing up in England. She remembers her grandmother secretly spitting out pills prescribed for high blood pressure — a moment that left a deep impression. “My grandmother passed away shortly after that from complications of high blood pressure,” Bilbrew recalled. “I knew at that moment I wanted to be a doctor” — the kind who listens, communicates well and helps patients understand why their treatment matters. Now a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery, Dr. Lattisha Bilbrew brings that commitment to every patient encounter. A cornerstone of Bilbrew’s message is “loading” — the idea that bone and muscle grow stronger only when challenged. It’s why she encourages patients of all ages, especially women approaching menopause, to lift weights.  “It's like putting gold coins in a bank for when we're older,” she says, noting that the more you build now, the more you protect yourself later. Dr. Bilbrew will be a keynote speaker at the 2025 Movement Is Life Annual Summit on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is “Combating Health Disparities: The Power of Movement in Community.” Registration is now open. Visit movementislifecommunity.org for more information. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts

What would it take for health care providers to truly meet people where they are – and go beyond the 15-minute visit? Dr. Razia Jayman-Aristide is a physician who blends deep clinical expertise with a powerful public health lens. She has spent the last 15 years building a career that bridges direct patient care, nonprofit leadership and systemic change. In this episode, Dr. Jayman-Aristide shares her journey — and how she’s redefining what medicine, emphasizing the need for personalized care that addresses social determinants of health.  “My family was a family that came here with minimal in their pocket. We were getting food stamps. We were on WIC lines. I was going to the FQHC clinics,” she says. “I would see parents losing, you know, a day of the salary just to get me health care. It's crazy that we don't think about those things. And I bring that everywhere I go.” Registration is now open for the upcoming Movement Is Life Annual Summit on Friday, November 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is “Combating Health Disparities: The Power of Movement in Community.” Visit movementislifecommunity.org for more information. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts

Systemic racism continues to shape medical education, clinical practice and patient outcomes. It’s a topic near and dear to Dr. Uché Blackstock—physician, health equity advocate, and New York Times bestselling author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Blackstock reflects on her own experiences as a Black woman in medicine, including a misdiagnosis during medical school that left her hospitalized. She also examines how historical policies, such as the Flexner Report and redlining, continue to impact today’s health inequities. The episode also touches on bias in clinical decision-making and the urgent need to reframe medical training around social determinants of health. This conversation with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Mary O’Connor and Dr. Hadiya Green is a call to action for everyone working to advance health equity. Registration is now open for the upcoming Movement Is Life Annual Summit on Friday, November 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is “Combating Health Disparities: The Power of Movement in Community.” Visit movementislifecommunity.org for more information. Never miss an episode – subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts

Health misinformation is a growing challenge, as social media has become a primary source of information for many people, and influential voices are casting doubt on established medical practices.  Trusted health sources are becoming harder to find, especially in communities of color where access to care is already limited and systemic barriers persist.  The fight to bring reliable health information and resources to vulnerable communities is not new.  For decades, organizations like the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health have been doing this  work — building trust, educating communities and empowering individuals to take charge of  their health.  To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Marilyn Fraser, Chief Executive Officer of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. Dr. Fraser speaks with Movement Is Life’s Conchita Burpee. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  

There are numerous social and structural vectors for disease that are not often discussed in medical school. So, Dr. David Ansell says he had a lot to learn once he became a physician. Ansell, author of “The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills,” writes about the stark disparities in access to treatment and outcomes for patients in the U.S. healthcare system. “We always talk about inequities. We have frank inequities, but we have gross inequalities,” Ansell says. “The care isn't equal… And if we could get to equal, then we can take on the inequity.” One of the most glaring examples is life expectancy; a person’s zip code can be a strong predictor for their life expectancy due to social and structural determinants of health, including structural racism and economic deprivation, he says.  “If you live in The Loop in Chicago, you can live to be 85 and if it were a country, it'd be ranked first in the world,” Ansell says. “But if you live in Garfield Park, three stops down the Blue Line from Rush, life expectancy post-Covid is 66.” In this conversation, which was first published in 2023 for the Health Disparities podcast, Dr. Ansell speaks with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Carla Harwell about the importance of addressing systemic racism and inequality in the healthcare system. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Food insecurity is a systemic public health issue that needs to be addressed because reliable access to healthy food is critical to positive health outcomes. Health care partnerships are forming to improve access to healthy foods in some states, including Massachusetts, which is at the forefront of addressing food insecurity with programs that allow Medicaid funding to be used to address social determinants of health. “I would push back on the idea that things like food and housing are not actually medical,” says Jennifer Obadia, senior director of health care partnerships at Project Bread, a nonprofit focused on creating a sustainable, system-wide safety net in Massachusetts for anyone facing hunger.  “Now, I understand they're not pharmaceutical,” she adds. “But we know that 80% of a person's health is determined by social and environmental factors.” In this week’s episode, Jennifer Obadia speaks with Movement Is Life’s Sonia Cervantes about food insecurity, Project Bread’s mission, lessons learned over the years and shares a call to action for listeners. Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333) is the food assistance line for all of Massachusetts, whether you need help paying for food and don't know where to start or you're simply curious about ways to boost your food budget or save on groceries.   Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Conversation is an important part of bringing an end to racism so that everyone thrives in our society. It’s something that the leaders of 904Ward care deeply about.  The 904Ward organization evolved the Jacksonville 904 dialing area code into a nonprofit whose mission is to create racial healing and equity through deep conversations and learning, trusting relationships, and collective action.  Dr. Kimberly Allen served as the inaugural CEO of 904WARD from 2020 to 2025.  “I think we all make judgments all the time because that's just the nature of our brains and how it works, but what I would encourage us to do is to call those judgments out and, I say, ‘Say the quiet part out loud.’ Call those judgments  out so that you can start to work through where they come from,” Dr. Allen says.  In this conversation, which was first recorded in 2022 for the Health Disparities podcast, Dr. Allen is joined by 904 resident Sharon LaSure-Roy. They spoke with Movement Is Life’s Sarah Hohman. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The underlying causes of health disparities are many, and sometimes healthcare providers can exacerbate disparities with how they operate. Health equity researchers have conducted "secret shopper" studies, revealing how healthcare providers limit appointments — and even treatment recommendations — to people with certain types of insurance. “Patients with Medicaid were significantly less likely to be offered appointments compared to those with Medicare or private insurance, and in many cases, clinics told us they weren't accepting any new Medicaid patients or that they didn't take Medicaid at all,” says Dr. Daniel Wiznia, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at Yale and a former member of Movement Is Life’s Steering Committee. “But when we would call back with private insurance, suddenly they have plenty of appointments available for the private insurance patients,” he says. Wiznia and his colleagues also found that even when Medicaid patients were offered appointments, wait times were often much longer — delays which can have serious consequences.  “So if a Medicaid patient has to wait six weeks or eight weeks for an appointment, while a private patient just waits maybe a week, that can really impact outcomes, especially for patients with chronic conditions or urgent needs,” he says. Wiznia joined Movement Is Life’s Dr. Mary O’Connor to discuss these findings in detail. He offers advice to patients who may find themselves in a situation where they’re denied care due to their insurance status and explains how raising reimbursement rates for Medicaid could help address the problem. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What does it take to create healthy neighborhoods that include broad, deep, and permanent pathways to prosperity for low-income families?  That question is the focus of today’s episode with Carol Redmond Naughton, CEO of Purpose Built Communities based in Atlanta. “I really have become an  advocate for community development as a way to move the needle on  health outcomes. And I'm not talking about simply putting a kidney dialysis center in the bottom floor of a senior high rise,” Naughton says. “I don't mean to say that that's not a good thing to do, but we've got to move upstream. We've got to be way upstream and be thinking about: How are we building communities and supporting children, so those children 60 years from now will not need kidney dialysis?” In a conversation that was first published in 2022, Naughton speaks with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Tamara Huff about the difference between access to health care and health outcomes and the importance of addressing the social determinants of health.   She also calls on all of us to reflect on the systems that have kept people trapped in poverty — especially Black and Brown communities — and consider what it takes to create communities that support a “cradle to college pipeline.”  Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The case for diversity in healthcare professions is strong. Research shows that a diverse healthcare workforce improves health outcomes, particularly for patients of color, and also increases people’s access to care and their perception of the care they receive.  Physicians of color are more likely to build careers in underserved communities, which can contribute even more toward the goal of reducing healthcare disparities. So, what does it take to cultivate a strong and diverse health care workforce? On this week’s episode, we gain insights from two knowledgeable guests, who spoke with Dr. Hadiya Green at  Movement Is Life’s annual summit: Dr. Cheryl Brewster, Senior Executive Dean for Access, Opportunity, and Collaboration and a Professor in the Department of Bioethics, Humanism, and Policy Roseman University College of Medicine Dr. Jarrod Lockhart, formerly an instructor at Morehouse School of Medicine, now Assistant Vice Provost, Education Outreach & Collaboration at Oregon Health & Science University Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Poverty is a key driver of health disparities. But numerous policies have been shown to help alleviate poverty and improve health equity, according to Dr. Rita Hamad, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hamad says policymakers need to look upstream and identify the root causes of health issues. “And really recognizing that poverty is one of the major root causes of those issues, and that if we don't address that… those health issues are just going to keep arising and not getting any better,” she says.  On this episode of the Health Disparities podcast, Hamad speaks with Movement Is Life’s Dr. Charla Johnson about evidence-based policies for alleviating poverty — like the child tax credit, earned income tax credit — and explains how healthcare systems can get more involved in bolstering the social safety net. Never miss an episode – be sure to subscribe to The Health Disparities podcast from Movement Is Life on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.