Healthcare disparity is the gap that exists in access and quality of standard care for minority groups. In the United States, the issue affects millions. The reasons that cause healthcare disparity are varied, and overcoming them requires the commitment of multiple stakeholders. Since 2003, GE has been leveraging its diverse talent and expertise in taking a systems approach to problem solving while working with partners to address the problem.
Considering that by 2042 Caucasians will no longer make up the majority of the U.S. population (source: U.S. Census Bureau), the issue of healthcare disparity is a pressing one. Medical institutions, communities, policy makers and companies like GE are coming together to invest in new technologies, conduct research and engage communities across the country.
One of the first steps GE Healthcare took in its initial research into healthcare disparity was establishing an annual roundtable for industry leaders to facilitate best practice sharing and discuss solutions.
Out of these research sessions, GE identified three key areas for overcoming disparities:
- Increasing the pipeline of minority doctors and healthcare professionals
- Improving research in understanding diseases that affect minority populations
- Involving the community to establish outreach initiatives
Audio
Listen to Dr. Olajide Williams, associate director of the Department of Neurology and assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University, and director of the Stroke Center at Harlem Hospital.
Blostering The Pipeline By Supporting Minority Physicians
One of the key causes of healthcare disparity is the lack of culturally informed physicians. To encourage the diversity of healthcare workers, GE partnered with National Medical Fellows Foundation, which supports medical school education for African American, Native American and Hispanic American students. Through this partnership, GE has provided financial support for more than 30 minority medical students.
Only 3.5 percent of doctors in the United States are African American and 5 percent are Hispanic American
Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
“As demographics change in the United States, research indicates that it is important to have representatives of various races in clinical and administrative roles to reflect the patient population.”
— pat webb, past president of national association of health services executives
Additionally, the GE Foundation supports a Medical Best Practice Exchange that sends U.S. minority medical students to Ghana for three-month internships to expose students to medical environments in developing countries. The program allows students to take modern practices into a developing health system and bring back knowledge and experiences they can apply to their professional work.
To support healthcare executives, GE has a partnership with National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) to support the Everett V. Fox Case Challenge. The competition involves teams of 20 graduate students in healthcare administration presenting business plans for hospitals with scholarships for the winning team. Since GE began this partnership with NAHSE, it has supported scholarships for more than 100 students.
Bringing Minority Healthcare Programs Into Communities
Besides supporting the pipeline of physicians and administrators, GE has leveraged leaders of its own affinity networks and employee groups to work with partners on prevention and outreach programs in minority communities. Examples of these programs include:
Hip Hop Stroke
In 2004, GE partnered with the National Stroke Association (NSA) to create a program to target K–12 students. Hip Hop Stroke helps students recognize the warning signs of stroke and teaches them an action plan for family members to receive proper stroke treatment. The program also teaches students healthy living strategies for stroke prevention. So far, the program has trained more than 5,000 children in the cities of Harlem, N.Y.; Denver, Col.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Washington, D.C. According to a Columbia University study, students who go through this program retain 80 percent of the material seven months later. Hip Hop Stroke was recently cited as a model education program in California’s 2008 Public Health Report.
“If we can teach this generation of children and empower them over stroke, we will be able to prevent many cases of stroke and adult disability.”
— diane mulligan, vice president of corporate communications for nsa
A Healthy You, A Healthy Me
The GE Hispanic Forum initiated “A Healthy You, A Healthy Me” to address childhood obesity in the Hispanic community. To create this program, the affinity group partnered with organizations like Mexican Fiesta, La Casa Esperanza and American Heart Association to run the program at local events and health fairs. Features include an obstacle course focusing on exercise, Zumba dance to encourage cardiovascular exercise, access to a nutrition expert, and a GE Volunteer booth that provides materials and local resources for continued support. Since its launch in 2006, the program has touched 1,800 families.
“One of the most important ways we have connected is through speaking the language they are comfortable with, whether it’s English or Spanish.”
— lorena hernandez, ge hispanic forum disparity programs representative, and winner of the 2008 biannual phillippe award for ge employees who distinguish themselves by leading innovative programs that respond to pressing needs in the community.
“With the talent in the affinity networks and employee groups energized by these problems, the diversity of thought and ideas helps us come up with better solutions.”
— mike barber, vice president and chief technology officer, ge healthcare
Video
Watch a video about Hip Hop Stroke produced by the National Stroke Association
Additional GE Affinity Network And Employee Group Initiatives
- The Asian Pacific American Forum started a program called “Customers Like Us” to reach out to doctors to discuss issues like cardiovascular disease which adversely impact the Asian population. The initiative has led to investments in new technology for early diagnosis of heart disease and has opened partnerships with groups such as the American Heart Association to educate the community on these risks.
- An employee group at GE called the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender (GLBT) Alliance, has worked to support an annual HIV/AIDS walk which provides funding to organizations like Camp Heartland.
- Learn more about employee diversity, affinity networks and employee groups on our corporate web site
Leading In Research Through The Stroke Innovation Lab
Investing and supporting research is another crucial piece to the multi-strategy approach. GE hosted the three-day Stroke Innovation Lab in January 2008 to study the care administration associated with stroke. GE Healthcare worked in partnership with NSA, Harlem Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center to study the way that stroke is cared for at stroke centers.
The lab was held in New York City, at both Harlem Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center, where stakeholders and GE leadership saw treatment from start to finish, and pinpointed specific areas for improvement including where GE innovation in technology would be helpful.
In addition to studying stroke care, GE’s government relations team has educated representatives in the U.S. Congress about the issues and the importance of technology research as part of the healthcare system’s process for change.
“If we want to improve care, we have to look at all of the aspects of treating stroke as a system. You can’t make products and leave them there. You have to go into the community.”
— tamanna bembenek, director of neurology strategy global marketing, ge healthcare, and leader of the stroke innovation lab
A Continuing Challenge
The work that GE is doing with its partners and other stakeholders to close the gap in healthcare disparities is only part of the equation. In addition to more discussion and engagement of stakeholders, it is even more important for companies to continue to invest in new technologies and prevention research.
“If reform for healthcare disparities gets put on the backburner, some of the gains we have made in the past four or five years could be lost. The answer is early intervention in communities. That is the only way to help eradicate disparity in this environment.”
— pat pearman, global diversity manager, ge healthcare