How Health Care Can Be Made More Equitable

Dr. Uché Blackstock, Adrelia Allen, and Ai-jen Poo gathered at the TIME100 Health Leadership Forum in New York City on Oct. 22 to discuss the need to create equitable access to health care during a panel moderated by TIME health correspondent Jamie Ducharme.

There’s an overarching lack of support in the U.S. when it comes to making sure everyone has equal access to health care—especially when it comes to supporting caregivers, says Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and executive director of Caring Across Generations. “Our country was never fully … invested in caregiving, the non-medicalized care that we need to live well,” she said.

It’s an oversight that has meant that many people fall through the gaps. Blackstock, an author and the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, cited a recent study from the Commonwealth Fund that found that the U.S. continues to have the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation—with two-thirds of deaths occuring during the postpartum period.

“That caregiving in the postpartum period for people who give birth is just absent in our country,” Blackstock said. “People need the most support … with small babies. You need a village, but you also need a system that’s going to make sure that you are not only psychologically OK, but you’re physically OK.”

When it comes to clinical trials, Allen, executive director of clinical trial patient diversity at Merck, a sponsor of the TIME100 Health Leadership Forum, said that there is work to be done to ensure that all clinical trials are accessible to all communities—whether that be by enrolling more diverse populations or training researchers in cultural competency. She stressed the importance of shifting perspectives from “equal to equity” to ensure meaningful steps are taken to be inclusive of all communities. Allen says that a new FDA requirement, which requires pharmaceutical companies to create Diversity Action Plans to support some clinical trials, means that we “are on the cusp” of seeing clinical trials become more accessible.

Poo noted that governmental action is essential to making sure everyone, everywhere has access to the health care they deserve. “There’s some basic policies in the country that we need to make in our ability to take care of ourselves and the people we love,” she said. “And if we do that, I think you can be transformative in overall health outcomes.”

The TIME100 Health Leadership Forum was presented by Merck, Deloitte, ŌURA, and PhRMA.