April 4, 2024 • 18 mins
We can solve the world health crisis! Yes, you heard that right!
CEO of Last Mile Health, Lisha McCormick, joins the podcast with THE answer. Community Health Workers. If we invest in the health care workers who are part of the communities that need the help...quality of care increases. This is a fact.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisha-mccormick-150a8b5/
So join Lisha and BLI as we celebrate “World Health Day” and this year's theme of "My Health, My Right".
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2024
This is Balancing Life's Issues the Podcast. Got an idea for the show? Email kai@balancinglifesissues.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
- We actually know that today as we speak,
half the world's populationlacks access to healthcare.
And about 2 billion peoplelack access to care simply due
to geographic distance.
And the approach webring to that is really
around looking at the health workforce
and really looking at
how community-based primarycare can be better delivered.
(00:26):
- Welcome to balancing Life's issues.
The podcast Today we arecelebrating World Health Day
and this year's theme of my health,
my right reading from theWorld Health Organization,
this year's theme waschosen to champion the right
of everyone everywhere to have access
to quality health services, education,
and information, as well assafe drinking water, clean air,
good nutrition, qualityhousing, decent working
(00:48):
and environmental conditions,
and freedom from discrimination.
But why do we need tocare about World Health?
A topic that seems so farremoved from the safety
and comfort of my home and my community?
Well, as it turns out, Irecently became friends
with someone in my communitywho happens to be the CEO
of Last Mile Health, a globalorganization whose mission is
(01:10):
to invest in thoseclosest to the community,
community health workers,
and the systems that enable their success.
Her name is Alicia McCormick,
and she's here today
to tell us exactly why thisis such an important topic.
And spoiler alert is
because the world isn'tas big as we think.
It's
(01:31):
Hi, Alicia. Welcome to the podcast.
- Hey, Kai, it's so great to be with you.
- I'm so glad to have you.
And you know, it's WorldHealth Day is being
celebrated on April 7th.
And you know, from whatI've learned about you
through our times of hanging together
and becoming friends, uh,
I knew you did something really important.
You were often traveling, uh,to throughout the world, um,
(01:54):
in advocation of some sortof health related thing.
I wasn't really sure. Andthen, you know, I just kind
of asked you, Hey, would you be interested
to do this World Health Podcast with me?
And you're like, sure.And then you sent me over
a link to your organization.
And not only is yourmission just incredible,
but you're the CEO of the organization.
(02:14):
So can you just tell memore about, you know,
what is your organization andthe role you play in World
- Health?
Absolutely. Well, I'm so fodder
that you invited me tohave this conversation.
I think, uh, universal health coverage
and access to healthcare is something
that really matters to me.
Mm-Hmm., um, you know,
I think we've touched on,
but my journey is really one where
(02:36):
I grew up in North America.
I grew up just outside of Washington DC
and I think I was veryfortunate I had regular access
to healthcare throughoutthe entirety of my life.
Um, as did my family.
And I had expected that Iwould actually study medicine.
I went to university
and, um, took all the course pre-reqs so
(02:57):
that I could become a doctor and Okay.
Wow. Yeah, and I, I thinkmuch to my father's chagrin,
I made the decision beforestarting medical school
to take a gap year.
Okay. Um, and in that gapyear, I realized something,
I realized that the wayin which we structure
how healthcare is accessed Yeah.
(03:19):
Um, many people are really suffering
and unable to access care.
Not necessarily because there are,
are inadequate clinical interventions, but
because the way that our healthsystems are structured Yeah.
Kind of really looks toreinforce marginalization. Sure.
So did a bit of a shift, um, yeah.
And actually shifted over
to really focus on publichealth with Oh, wow.
(03:40):
A particular focus on
how health services can bemade available to people that
otherwise would go without access.
- And this, this started inlike your local community
outside of dc like community health or?
- Yeah, it's a great question.
So, uh, actually in New York City, okay.
I kind of moved, moved to thebig bad city from Colorado,
which is where I did my undergrad.
(04:01):
And, um, got a job doingdirect service, uh,
in case management as acommunity health worker.
Okay. Uh, and as acommunity health worker,
what I was doing is I wasactually going to folks' homes,
um, that were navigatingdifferent issues, be it sort of,
um, mental health challenges Mm-Hmm.
or substance,uh, use disorders. Yeah.
(04:24):
Or, you know, othernon-communicable diseases like
hypertension or diabetes, ormaybe folks were HIV positive.
Mm-Hmm.. Um, anda lot of what I saw was that
these folks both deserved access to care.
Right. And often the systemwas not structured in a way to,
um, meet them where they were.
(04:45):
Um, and I think the absence of the,
their, their abilityto, to access the care
and the services that theydeserved in a dignified way, um,
really, uh, changed my trajectory.
Yeah. Uh, in terms of what I pursued for,
for what I'm doing now.
- And, you know, it'sa beautiful segue into
(05:05):
what this year's themeis for World Health Day.
It's my health, my right.Mm-Hmm..
And it feels like youjust are embodying that.
So can can you tell us what,what does that mean to you?
- Absolutely. So, you know, I think Kai,
we know one another now,
and the, the role that Icurrently sit in is actually
leading an organization bythe name of Last Mile Health.
- Last Mile Health. I just
wanna make sure our listenersheard that, right? Yep.
(05:26):
- Last Mile Health.- Okay. Fantastic.
- And, and our focusreally is on recognizing
that I is universal andaccess to care is not Mm-Hmm.
and figuring outways in which we can go the
last mile to make sure
that every patient has accessto the care that they deserve.
Um, to put some numbersbehind this, we actually know
(05:46):
that today as we speak,
half the world's populationlacks access to healthcare.
And about 2 billion peoplelack access to care simply due
to geographic distance.
So a lot of what I do and myincredibly capable colleagues
and sort of the communitythat I'm part of look at is
how do we ensure that the way
(06:08):
that health systems aredesigned, um, are inclusive
of integrated services,particularly for those that would
otherwise be out of reach of care.
And the approach webring to that is really
around looking at the health workforce
and really looking at
how community based primarycare can be better delivered.
(06:28):
- So, I mean, you saidcommunity based and,
but that's was exactly yourexperience in New York.
So like, is there a correlation there?
Like does it feel thesame? Is it different?
- So I think that thereare absolutely, uh,
clear correlations
and lessons that can belearned between North America,
Europe, Africa, Asia,
(06:48):
and when we think about delivery of care
to people in the community, actually
by community health workers,by professionalized members
of the community on the
- Ground to- Exactly
who like really gettheir community's needs,
who are often representativeof the communities
that they serve, um, we knowthat that actually yields
(07:09):
to one, a path towards achievinguniversal health coverage,
especially in settings that might
otherwise be moreeconomically disadvantaged.
Mm-Hmm.. Um, but it also
yields improved health outcomes.
Like we see tremendousincreases in terms of access to
immunizations or maternalhealth care, um, you know,
proactive health screenings, um,
(07:31):
by community healthworkers and that matters.
- Yeah. Yeah. And so I guessfocusing on that community,
so your mission is to make sure
that those community basedprograms are rich, vibrant,
and like as up to date as possible.
Would that be a good wayto frame the work you do?
- It's a great way ofthinking of it. Okay. Perfect.
I think that when we think about
(07:52):
what a exemplar community healthsystem looks like, we know
that that health system needs
to have community health workers
that are operating atnational scale, that are, uh,
integrated into systems of financing
and also how data isused and administered.
And those communityhealth workers also need
to get the inputs that they need Yeah.
(08:13):
To do their jobs. So theyneed the skills, the supplies,
the supervision, and thesalaries, um, to make sure
that they're able to show up every day
and deliver care to their neighbors.
- Ah, do you, do you feel like it's ever
like just insurmountable?
- I don't, um,
because the, the solutions
(08:35):
are proven and demonstrated.
Mm-Hmm., you know,I, I look at a country like
Liberia in West Africa, um,where I've lived off and on
and worked for at thispoint a quarter of my life.
And Liberia is regularly ranked among one
of the most economically
disadvantaged countries in the world.
And what I can tell you isthat Liberia is on track
(08:57):
to achieve universalhealth coverage by the end
of calendar year 2025.
- Oh my gosh. Are you serious?- 100%. So, go
- Ahead.
Well, I was just gonna say,I mean, if when, when you,
when you, I guess the, thestigma associated with, you know,
poor countries Mm-Hmm.
, you would justassume that the healthcare
is less adequate than our own.
(09:17):
- Yeah. I mean, therecan be that presumption
and I think Mm-Hmm.
, whatwe've seen in Liberia is
that there has been aclear-eyed commitment, um,
by the government to bring oncommunity health workers, um,
over 4,000 of them to date,uh, to serve a population
of a little under 5 million.
(09:37):
And those community healthworkers every day are present
going door to door to make sure
that kids are gettingthe care that they need,
that moms are being supported.
Yeah. That people areable to be healthier.
And to me, seeing that
and seeing it, you know, something
that would've been presumedimpossible, actually,
like made possible, um, really is a lesson
(10:00):
that I think many other countries
can look to and learn from.
- Yeah. And I guess, youknow, why do you think
that community-based program works?
And it might be aleading question. Mm-Hmm.
, because I thinkwhat I'm trying to get us
to is this idea of empathy.
Mm-Hmm. andlike emotional intelligence.
Mm-Hmm. is, do you,
do you feel like those aresome of the traits that are
(10:21):
with a community health worker
that translates into better healthcare?
- 100%. I think the abilityto be present, to relate, to
understand the socialdeterminants in the context
that a individual or a familyis navigating matter, um,
and the ability to deliver services, um,
(10:43):
healthcare is one of 'em.
Um, context matters. Yeah.
And, you know, I think thatwe are regularly seeing that
mom's willingness to listento advice for their kid,
or their ability to evenjust physically access the
treatment for malaria thattheir child so deserves
(11:03):
that is made possible
because of community led primary care
and community health workers. Wow.
- It's such a beautiful mission
and it just kind of bringsalong this idea that
how connected the world actually is.
Um, and I feel like we reallyfelt that during covid.
- I think you said it so Well.You know, I, I think that
what Covid really reinforced is that there
(11:26):
is no them, there's only us and Mm-Hmm.
the interconnectivity of
truly global health at this point.
It means that, you know, I, I lived
and worked in Liberia
and West Africa during the2014, 2015 Ebola outbreak,
which I think was a very scary time.
(11:47):
And what we saw wasthat a 2-year-old child
in the rainforest of Guineafell ill with fever, vomiting,
and pretty shortly thereafter,
that child's aunties fell ill.
And then before we knew it Mm-Hmm.
, we actuallyhad an Ebola outbreak
that spread across West Africa,
(12:07):
but also where we saw people getting sick,
like in our very own New York City.
Yeah. Um,
and I think Covid reallyreinforced the fact
that illness is universal.
Access to care is notMm-Hmm..
And some of the best approach in terms
of pandemic prevention
and detection is by making surethat there are well-equipped
(12:29):
supported community health workers
in each and every community.
- Yeah. Because I think whatyou hear now, it's not a matter
of if, but when it happens again,
- You're spot on there. Yes.
- And I, I just, I don'tknow, just personally
as your friend, it,
it feels like this is areally heavy, heavy job.
Or maybe you can help mebetter understand like, what's,
what's the emotional weight you carry
(12:51):
and like, how do youmaintain work-life balance?
'cause that, that's what wedo at balancing life's issues.
We try to make sure anemployee, a manager, A CEO is
taking care of themselves as well.
Right. Because ideally youpour yourself into your work
and it's a lifelong mission,
but you can get wrappedup in that, you know, how
how do you maintain a sense of self with,
(13:12):
with all this going on on around you.
- You know, I thinkworking in mission driven
work is a privilege.
Um, and you're right thatit's something where so much
of our identity
and our sense of purposecan get tied up in
that mission driven work.
I think something I've come to learn is
that there are reallythree things that matter
to me in my professional endeavors.
(13:34):
Um, one is being able
to work on things that are values aligned.
And in my core, I truly believe
that nobody should be left out.
So working on something
that is really focused on inclusive access
to healthcare fuels me. Yeah.
- Think it gets you up in the morning.
If it was a really hard day, you know,
you can get up tomorrowbecause that value is aligned
(13:55):
- One 100%.
And I think, you know, thepoint you just made, Kai also
around like working onthings that are hard.
Um, you know, we we'redoing this work, not, not
because it's easy, but because it is hard.
Mm. If these, if these were challenges
that people had alreadyaddressed, there would be no need
to wake up every day
and to tackle thesethings that are difficult.
(14:17):
It's hard to work in remoteareas, it's hard to work Right.
In communities that haveoften been neglected,
it can be hard to workwith government partners.
Um, and still it's really important.
And that kind of bringsme to the third thing
that I regularly focus on andthat I think is so critical.
And for me, and I think forso many that do this type
of mission oriented work is the
(14:38):
community that you're part of.
And I, you know, stand inservice with a team of,
you know, over 200 health professionals
that are getting up every single day
because they believe thatpeople have access to, to, uh,
should have access to care.
Mm-Hmm. andmore broadly, we're part
of a broader and growingecosystem of people that believe
(14:58):
and know that healthcare is a human right.
And that we have it within our power
to, to realize that vision. Yeah.
- Yeah. I'm, I'm so gladyou ended with community
because, you know, it'sone of the five buckets
that over here at BLI thatwe, that we empower people
to put some water intoevery once in a while.
Like, the importanceof your community and,
and the fact that I justended up meeting you
(15:21):
through some friends down at a brewery
around the corner is justkind of speaks to this,
this whole idea of communityand what, what fuels you up
and keeps you energized.
And I think the lastthing I wanted to ask you,
'cause I know your time isextremely valuable, um, is
this can all feel so removed from Mm-Hmm.
the self, like,for me, like, I'm imagining
(15:42):
like world health, like,it's insurmountable.
It's huge. And I thinkfor a lot of listeners,
it's probably a similar feeling.
Um, however, like what's,
what do you feel is like onething someone like myself
could do to be moreengaged in world health
or to be a better advocate for it?
- Well, the types of solutions
that we're looking atin the majority world,
(16:04):
or, you know, in Asia and Africaare equally relevant here.
You know, just outside of New York City.
Um, the notion
that community led communitydriven primary care is the path
that is going to help usachieve universal health
coverage is no longer a debate.
It's just a truism.
And I often reflect uponthe idea of like, pray
(16:26):
for peace, work for justice.
And the path for each
and every one of us, Ithink really can be, um,
thinking about ways in which communities
that maybe had previously not had a voice
or that had been excluded from services be
that healthcare otherwise.
Right. Like education. Yeah.
So, so much of the workthat you're doing is
so important in terms
(16:46):
of whose voices are representedin these conversations
related to work life balance.
Yeah. Um, defining paths tomake sure that those that
otherwise might not beinvited to the table
or invited to thehealthcare screening are,
I think is a really admirable
and important way for allof us to play in a part in,
you know, building a healthy future.
(17:09):
Yeah. That, you know,we all wanna be part of.
- Yeah. No, it's, it's so well said.
And I think maybe what Iheard in there was, you know,
pay attention to healthrights this year and,
and vote in, in thatdirection of, of health.
Right. And advocate forhealth rights for all.
Um, and Lecia, I can't thankyou enough for being here.
I know you're in between moving
(17:30):
and traveling and all of this.
So thank you so much foryour time and energy.
It's, it's been wonderful to have you.
- Hi. It's been such a joy.
Thank you so much for invitingme and for being a friend.
- Of course. Until nexttime, everyone, take care.
(17:53):
This has been a productionof Balancing Life's Issues
with your hosts, Kai Sorenson
and Wendy Wallner,produced by me Kai Rate.
Leave a review andsubscribe to the podcast
wherever you listen soyou can get brand new
episodes as they drop.
Got an idea for the show.
Email me, k i@balancinglifesissues.com.Anything to add?
Miles.
- We actually know that today as we speak,
half the world's populationlacks access to healthcare.
And about 2 billion peoplelack access to care simply due
to geographic distance.
And the approach webring to that is really
around looking at the health workforce
and really looking at
how community-based primarycare can be better delivered.
(00:26):
- Welcome to balancing Life's issues.
The podcast Today we arecelebrating World Health Day
and this year's theme of my health,
my right reading from theWorld Health Organization,
this year's theme waschosen to champion the right
of everyone everywhere to have access
to quality health services, education,
and information, as well assafe drinking water, clean air,
good nutrition, qualityhousing, decent working
(00:48):
and environmental conditions,
and freedom from discrimination.
But why do we need tocare about World Health?
A topic that seems so farremoved from the safety
and comfort of my home and my community?
Well, as it turns out, Irecently became friends
with someone in my communitywho happens to be the CEO
of Last Mile Health, a globalorganization whose mission is
(01:10):
to invest in thoseclosest to the community,
community health workers,
and the systems that enable their success.
Her name is Alicia McCormick,
and she's here today
to tell us exactly why thisis such an important topic.
And spoiler alert is
because the world isn'tas big as we think.
It's
(01:31):
Hi, Alicia. Welcome to the podcast.
- Hey, Kai, it's so great to be with you.
- I'm so glad to have you.
And you know, it's WorldHealth Day is being
celebrated on April 7th.
And you know, from whatI've learned about you
through our times of hanging together
and becoming friends, uh,
I knew you did something really important.
You were often traveling, uh,to throughout the world, um,
(01:54):
in advocation of some sortof health related thing.
I wasn't really sure. Andthen, you know, I just kind
of asked you, Hey, would you be interested
to do this World Health Podcast with me?
And you're like, sure.And then you sent me over
a link to your organization.
And not only is yourmission just incredible,
but you're the CEO of the organization.
(02:14):
So can you just tell memore about, you know,
what is your organization andthe role you play in World
- Health?
Absolutely. Well, I'm so fodder
that you invited me tohave this conversation.
I think, uh, universal health coverage
and access to healthcare is something
that really matters to me.
Mm-Hmm.
I think we've touched on,
but my journey is really one where
(02:36):
I grew up in North America.
I grew up just outside of Washington DC
and I think I was veryfortunate I had regular access
to healthcare throughoutthe entirety of my life.
Um, as did my family.
And I had expected that Iwould actually study medicine.
I went to university
and, um, took all the course pre-reqs so
(02:57):
that I could become a doctor and Okay.
Wow. Yeah, and I, I thinkmuch to my father's chagrin,
I made the decision beforestarting medical school
to take a gap year.
Okay. Um, and in that gapyear, I realized something,
I realized that the wayin which we structure
how healthcare is accessed Yeah.
(03:19):
Um, many people are really suffering
and unable to access care.
Not necessarily because there are,
are inadequate clinical interventions, but
because the way that our healthsystems are structured Yeah.
Kind of really looks toreinforce marginalization. Sure.
So did a bit of a shift, um, yeah.
And actually shifted over
to really focus on publichealth with Oh, wow.
(03:40):
A particular focus on
how health services can bemade available to people that
otherwise would go without access.
- And this, this started inlike your local community
outside of dc like community health or?
- Yeah, it's a great question.
So, uh, actually in New York City, okay.
I kind of moved, moved to thebig bad city from Colorado,
which is where I did my undergrad.
(04:01):
And, um, got a job doingdirect service, uh,
in case management as acommunity health worker.
Okay. Uh, and as acommunity health worker,
what I was doing is I wasactually going to folks' homes,
um, that were navigatingdifferent issues, be it sort of,
um, mental health challenges Mm-Hmm.
(04:24):
Or, you know, othernon-communicable diseases like
hypertension or diabetes, ormaybe folks were HIV positive.
Mm-Hmm.
these folks both deserved access to care.
Right. And often the systemwas not structured in a way to,
um, meet them where they were.
(04:45):
Um, and I think the absence of the,
their, their abilityto, to access the care
and the services that theydeserved in a dignified way, um,
really, uh, changed my trajectory.
Yeah. Uh, in terms of what I pursued for,
for what I'm doing now.
- And, you know, it'sa beautiful segue into
(05:05):
what this year's themeis for World Health Day.
It's my health, my right.Mm-Hmm.
And it feels like youjust are embodying that.
So can can you tell us what,what does that mean to you?
- Absolutely. So, you know, I think Kai,
we know one another now,
and the, the role that Icurrently sit in is actually
leading an organization bythe name of Last Mile Health.
- Last Mile Health. I just
wanna make sure our listenersheard that, right? Yep.
(05:26):
- Last Mile Health.- Okay. Fantastic.
- And, and our focusreally is on recognizing
that I is universal andaccess to care is not Mm-Hmm.
last mile to make sure
that every patient has accessto the care that they deserve.
Um, to put some numbersbehind this, we actually know
(05:46):
that today as we speak,
half the world's populationlacks access to healthcare.
And about 2 billion peoplelack access to care simply due
to geographic distance.
So a lot of what I do and myincredibly capable colleagues
and sort of the communitythat I'm part of look at is
how do we ensure that the way
(06:08):
that health systems aredesigned, um, are inclusive
of integrated services,particularly for those that would
otherwise be out of reach of care.
And the approach webring to that is really
around looking at the health workforce
and really looking at
how community based primarycare can be better delivered.
(06:28):
- So, I mean, you saidcommunity based and,
but that's was exactly yourexperience in New York.
So like, is there a correlation there?
Like does it feel thesame? Is it different?
- So I think that thereare absolutely, uh,
clear correlations
and lessons that can belearned between North America,
Europe, Africa, Asia,
(06:48):
and when we think about delivery of care
to people in the community, actually
by community health workers,by professionalized members
of the community on the
- Ground to- Exactly
who like really gettheir community's needs,
who are often representativeof the communities
that they serve, um, we knowthat that actually yields
(07:09):
to one, a path towards achievinguniversal health coverage,
especially in settings that might
otherwise be moreeconomically disadvantaged.
Mm-Hmm.
yields improved health outcomes.
Like we see tremendousincreases in terms of access to
immunizations or maternalhealth care, um, you know,
proactive health screenings, um,
(07:31):
by community healthworkers and that matters.
- Yeah. Yeah. And so I guessfocusing on that community,
so your mission is to make sure
that those community basedprograms are rich, vibrant,
and like as up to date as possible.
Would that be a good wayto frame the work you do?
- It's a great way ofthinking of it. Okay. Perfect.
I think that when we think about
(07:52):
what a exemplar community healthsystem looks like, we know
that that health system needs
to have community health workers
that are operating atnational scale, that are, uh,
integrated into systems of financing
and also how data isused and administered.
And those communityhealth workers also need
to get the inputs that they need Yeah.
(08:13):
To do their jobs. So theyneed the skills, the supplies,
the supervision, and thesalaries, um, to make sure
that they're able to show up every day
and deliver care to their neighbors.
- Ah, do you, do you feel like it's ever
like just insurmountable?
- I don't, um,
because the, the solutions
(08:35):
are proven and demonstrated.
Mm-Hmm.
Liberia in West Africa, um,where I've lived off and on
and worked for at thispoint a quarter of my life.
And Liberia is regularly ranked among one
of the most economically
disadvantaged countries in the world.
And what I can tell you isthat Liberia is on track
(08:57):
to achieve universalhealth coverage by the end
of calendar year 2025.
- Oh my gosh. Are you serious?- 100%. So, go
- Ahead.
Well, I was just gonna say,I mean, if when, when you,
when you, I guess the, thestigma associated with, you know,
poor countries Mm-Hmm.
is less adequate than our own.
(09:17):
- Yeah. I mean, therecan be that presumption
and I think Mm-Hmm.
that there has been aclear-eyed commitment, um,
by the government to bring oncommunity health workers, um,
over 4,000 of them to date,uh, to serve a population
of a little under 5 million.
(09:37):
And those community healthworkers every day are present
going door to door to make sure
that kids are gettingthe care that they need,
that moms are being supported.
Yeah. That people areable to be healthier.
And to me, seeing that
and seeing it, you know, something
that would've been presumedimpossible, actually,
like made possible, um, really is a lesson
(10:00):
that I think many other countries
can look to and learn from.
- Yeah. And I guess, youknow, why do you think
that community-based program works?
And it might be aleading question. Mm-Hmm.
to is this idea of empathy.
Mm-Hmm.
Mm-Hmm.
do you feel like those aresome of the traits that are
(10:21):
with a community health worker
that translates into better healthcare?
- 100%. I think the abilityto be present, to relate, to
understand the socialdeterminants in the context
that a individual or a familyis navigating matter, um,
and the ability to deliver services, um,
(10:43):
healthcare is one of 'em.
Um, context matters. Yeah.
And, you know, I think thatwe are regularly seeing that
mom's willingness to listento advice for their kid,
or their ability to evenjust physically access the
treatment for malaria thattheir child so deserves
(11:03):
that is made possible
because of community led primary care
and community health workers. Wow.
- It's such a beautiful mission
and it just kind of bringsalong this idea that
how connected the world actually is.
Um, and I feel like we reallyfelt that during covid.
- I think you said it so Well.You know, I, I think that
what Covid really reinforced is that there
(11:26):
is no them, there's only us and Mm-Hmm.
truly global health at this point.
It means that, you know, I, I lived
and worked in Liberia
and West Africa during the2014, 2015 Ebola outbreak,
which I think was a very scary time.
(11:47):
And what we saw wasthat a 2-year-old child
in the rainforest of Guineafell ill with fever, vomiting,
and pretty shortly thereafter,
that child's aunties fell ill.
And then before we knew it Mm-Hmm.
that spread across West Africa,
(12:07):
but also where we saw people getting sick,
like in our very own New York City.
Yeah. Um,
and I think Covid reallyreinforced the fact
that illness is universal.
Access to care is notMm-Hmm.
And some of the best approach in terms
of pandemic prevention
and detection is by making surethat there are well-equipped
(12:29):
supported community health workers
in each and every community.
- Yeah. Because I think whatyou hear now, it's not a matter
of if, but when it happens again,
- You're spot on there. Yes.
- And I, I just, I don'tknow, just personally
as your friend, it,
it feels like this is areally heavy, heavy job.
Or maybe you can help mebetter understand like, what's,
what's the emotional weight you carry
(12:51):
and like, how do youmaintain work-life balance?
'cause that, that's what wedo at balancing life's issues.
We try to make sure anemployee, a manager, A CEO is
taking care of themselves as well.
Right. Because ideally youpour yourself into your work
and it's a lifelong mission,
but you can get wrappedup in that, you know, how
how do you maintain a sense of self with,
(13:12):
with all this going on on around you.
- You know, I thinkworking in mission driven
work is a privilege.
Um, and you're right thatit's something where so much
of our identity
and our sense of purposecan get tied up in
that mission driven work.
I think something I've come to learn is
that there are reallythree things that matter
to me in my professional endeavors.
(13:34):
Um, one is being able
to work on things that are values aligned.
And in my core, I truly believe
that nobody should be left out.
So working on something
that is really focused on inclusive access
to healthcare fuels me. Yeah.
- Think it gets you up in the morning.
If it was a really hard day, you know,
you can get up tomorrowbecause that value is aligned
(13:55):
- One 100%.
And I think, you know, thepoint you just made, Kai also
around like working onthings that are hard.
Um, you know, we we'redoing this work, not, not
because it's easy, but because it is hard.
Mm. If these, if these were challenges
that people had alreadyaddressed, there would be no need
to wake up every day
and to tackle thesethings that are difficult.
(14:17):
It's hard to work in remoteareas, it's hard to work Right.
In communities that haveoften been neglected,
it can be hard to workwith government partners.
Um, and still it's really important.
And that kind of bringsme to the third thing
that I regularly focus on andthat I think is so critical.
And for me, and I think forso many that do this type
of mission oriented work is the
(14:38):
community that you're part of.
And I, you know, stand inservice with a team of,
you know, over 200 health professionals
that are getting up every single day
because they believe thatpeople have access to, to, uh,
should have access to care.
Mm-Hmm.
of a broader and growingecosystem of people that believe
(14:58):
and know that healthcare is a human right.
And that we have it within our power
to, to realize that vision. Yeah.
- Yeah. I'm, I'm so gladyou ended with community
because, you know, it'sone of the five buckets
that over here at BLI thatwe, that we empower people
to put some water intoevery once in a while.
Like, the importanceof your community and,
and the fact that I justended up meeting you
(15:21):
through some friends down at a brewery
around the corner is justkind of speaks to this,
this whole idea of communityand what, what fuels you up
and keeps you energized.
And I think the lastthing I wanted to ask you,
'cause I know your time isextremely valuable, um, is
this can all feel so removed from Mm-Hmm.
(15:42):
like world health, like,it's insurmountable.
It's huge. And I thinkfor a lot of listeners,
it's probably a similar feeling.
Um, however, like what's,
what do you feel is like onething someone like myself
could do to be moreengaged in world health
or to be a better advocate for it?
- Well, the types of solutions
that we're looking atin the majority world,
(16:04):
or, you know, in Asia and Africaare equally relevant here.
You know, just outside of New York City.
Um, the notion
that community led communitydriven primary care is the path
that is going to help usachieve universal health
coverage is no longer a debate.
It's just a truism.
And I often reflect uponthe idea of like, pray
(16:26):
for peace, work for justice.
And the path for each
and every one of us, Ithink really can be, um,
thinking about ways in which communities
that maybe had previously not had a voice
or that had been excluded from services be
that healthcare otherwise.
Right. Like education. Yeah.
So, so much of the workthat you're doing is
so important in terms
(16:46):
of whose voices are representedin these conversations
related to work life balance.
Yeah. Um, defining paths tomake sure that those that
otherwise might not beinvited to the table
or invited to thehealthcare screening are,
I think is a really admirable
and important way for allof us to play in a part in,
you know, building a healthy future.
(17:09):
Yeah. That, you know,we all wanna be part of.
- Yeah. No, it's, it's so well said.
And I think maybe what Iheard in there was, you know,
pay attention to healthrights this year and,
and vote in, in thatdirection of, of health.
Right. And advocate forhealth rights for all.
Um, and Lecia, I can't thankyou enough for being here.
I know you're in between moving
(17:30):
and traveling and all of this.
So thank you so much foryour time and energy.
It's, it's been wonderful to have you.
- Hi. It's been such a joy.
Thank you so much for invitingme and for being a friend.
- Of course. Until nexttime, everyone, take care.
(17:53):
This has been a productionof Balancing Life's Issues
with your hosts, Kai Sorenson
and Wendy Wallner,produced by me Kai Rate.
Leave a review andsubscribe to the podcast
wherever you listen soyou can get brand new
episodes as they drop.
Got an idea for the show.
Email me, k i@balancinglifesissues.com.Anything to add?
Miles.
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