Understanding Social Determinants of Health with Dr. Georges Benjamin

08/24/20 • 26 min

America is reckoning with its public health on two fronts: COVID-19 and social determinants of health. Dr. Georges Benjamin is the Executive Director of the American Public Health Association and has spent his career working to achieve health equity for Americans. He joined Chip on our inaugural episode of our series Hospitals In Focus: Achieving Health Equity to discuss how COVID-19 has exposed and amplified issues in our health care system. Dr. Benjamin discusses the obstacles that many in communities of color and other vulnerable populations face when it comes to getting treatment - and what health care providers can do to mitigate some of their challenges.

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Past is Prologue - Author John M. Barry on How Crises of the Past Lead to Reform in the Future

The Great Influenza and Rising Tide author and historian John M. Barry knows a thing or two about disasters and society. The Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine professor joined Chip to discuss not just the ramifications of great crises on society and politics, but also how we get there. What are the policy decisions that make or in some cases break the public response? And what can we learn for future policy making by looking at decisions from the past? All is discussed on this episode of Hospitals In Focus.

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Saving the Lives of Women and Mothers with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood

Women in the United States suffer the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is trying to change that with her package of legislation appropriately titled the Momnibus. In this episode she discusses with Chip the social determinants of health that are leading to poor health outcomes for Black and minority mothers, how COVID-19 has advanced patient care approaches like telemedicine to benefit new mothers’ mental health, and how she collaborated with her colleagues across the aisle to find solutions.