Future of Health Care 2020

HE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE // HEALTH-CARE EQUITY
Underwood has plan to tackle health-care disparities
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Underwood spoke about health
disparities in Buffalo and his plan to
help fix the issues.
Define the problem for us. I’ve
dealt with health-care disparities
in research and in my clinical care
for more than 20 years. Here in
Buffalo, years ago we put together the
African-American Disparities Task
Force, and we produced a document
highlighting health-equity issues in
the region, which are mostly focused
on the East Side. Those ZIP codes
are at higher risk of mortality from
cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
cancer. Those diseases have a lot to do
with proper transportation, adequate
housing and a whole host of financial
or economic circumstances.
What is your task force planning to
do? The goal here is to address those
things and to uplift the community.
A community is only as strong as its
weakest link, and one part of that
chain is much weaker than all the
rest. So it’s one thing to talk about a
problem, and it’s another to say, ‘OK,
what resources are we going to bring
to bear to solve it? And who are we
going to be accountable to?’
The strategy is going to be multifaceted,
public and reach across
disciplines. One aspect is going to be
agenda-driven research so that we
identify interventions, prove that they
work and then bring them to scale. We
are going to work with partners from
inside and outside the community to
put long-term changes in place.
Dr. Willie Underwood III is a board-certified urologist who has spent his career on issues of access to quality health
care. He says his new role leading the Buffalo Center for Health Equity isn’t just about lifting the East Side, but about
supporting health outcomes for the entire community.
That sounds ambitious. Everyone
sees our society as us and them, but
research has shown us that it’s just us,
and that we’re sort of in this together.
We’re hoping one thing that comes
out of this coronavirus crisis is a
newly reinvigorated effort to address
social determinants of health in a way
that we can resolve them. We want to
make the East Side of Buffalo a strong
JOED VIERA
link within the chain.
We’ve been working on this for
years, but really we’re just getting
started.
— Dan Miner
WORD FROM THE SPONSOR: TROCAIRE COLLEGE
Proud to educate WNY health care workforce
As our society has been engaged
in fighting the COVID-19
global pandemic, we have been
reminded on a daily basis the critical
role health care workers play within
our community. Many have referred
to health care workers as the new
“army” our society needs to fight this
pandemic and other future healthrelated
crises.
For over 60 years, Trocaire College
has been proud to educate and train
the Western New York health care
workforce. Whether current students
preparing to enter the workplace or
alumni who have already heeded
the call to serve, Trocaire graduates
are workplace ready from day one
to join other frontline workers to
deliver quality care. Building on the
foundation of the Sisters of Mercy
who came to Buffalo to serve its ever
increasing population by building
schools and health care facilities,
Bassam M.
Deeb, Ph.D.,
is President of
Trocaire College
Trocaire today
remains focused
on the Buffalo
Niagara region
with its ever
increasing racial
diversity as well
as its urban and
suburban mix.
The focus on
infusing diversity
in the field of
health care has
become even
more critical
as the Buffalo Niagara region has
welcomed New Americans as it has
done so many times throughout its
history. This trend has been noted
for decades, and the need for more
racial and ethnic diversity in the
health care field is only growing. A
HealthAffairs.org research article,
The Case for Diversity in Health Care
Workforce notes that “a workforce
that mirrors the population will
help to expand health care access
for the underserved, foster research
in neglected areas of societal need,
and enrich the pool of managers
and policymakers to meet the needs
of a diverse population.” Trocaire
has been a strong contributor and
supporter to increasing qualified and
diverse health care providers that
mirror the population of the Buffalo
Niagara region.
Trocaire has already executed
several initiatives to increase equity
in this area, knowing the outcomes
will benefit the community at large.
The College launched a Cultural
Competency Certificate program
open to both students and employees,
bringing in community leaders to
speak on a variety of issues and
fostering opportunities to increase the
knowledge, sensitivity and skills in
cross-cultural interactions on both an
institutional and an individual level.
In addition, thanks to a federally
funded grant, Trocaire created the
Pathways to Nursing Success Program.
In partnership with the Erie Niagara
Area Health Education Center and the
Community Health Center of Buffalo,
the program is helping to diversify the
local nursing workforce by addressing
educational, social and financial
barriers for minority students who
wish to enter and be successful in the
field. Now more than halfway through
the program, the enrolled students are
already seeing the positive change the
Pathways program is having on their
lives.
Diversity in health care matters. It
is about a commitment to ensuring
all backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities,
perspectives and experiences are
represented within the various
health-related career paths to meet
the needs of an increasingly diverse
population and to provide culturally
competent and quality care.
32 THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST