Boiling the Ocean of Health Equity and Delivery with Dr. Torian Easterling!!

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We sit down today with Dr. Torian Easterling to talk about the challenges of working in health equity and care delivery for the most vulnerable in these uncertain times, the importance of checking in, being steady and steadfast in our goals, understanding that while it is important to promote justice and preserve the progress, the status quo wasn't completely working for those that are the most vulnerable and that it is important to rebuild our programs with true equity at the forefront and not performative DEI by building relationships and collaborations with non science or non health entities (law, community organizations, laundromats!) to get everyone to live the lives that we all deserve to live. We cannot go back and NYC is leading the way through the work of NYC Commission on Racial Equity.

Dr. Easterling is a distinguished physician and public health leader, currently serving as the Senior Vice President for Population and Community Health and Chief Strategic and Innovation Officer for One Brooklyn Health (Brookdale, Interfaith and Kingsbrook- Jewish). In this senior leadership role, Dr. Easterling spearheads the Office of Community Health and Health Equity- with a mission to strengthen the system's capacity to address health inequities and improve the health and well-being of the communities served.

Prior to his tenure at One Brooklyn Health, Dr. Easterling held the positions of First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). In these roles, he led New York City’s equity response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensured equitable distribution of vaccines to vulnerable populations and communities.

Dr. Easterling is a member of several boards and commissions, including the NYC Commission on Racial Equity (NYC CORE). He continues to drive local policy and planning efforts to improve community health. Dr. Easterling is the Co-Founder and Director of Education for the Young Doctors Project, intergenerational mentoring program for high school boys of color.

Book Recommendation:

We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For By: Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Health Insurance 101
Medicare And Commercial Health Insurance: The Fundamental Difference", Health Affairs Blog, February 15, 2012

Cindy Mann and Adam Striar, “How Differences in Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial Health Insurance Payment Rates Impact Access, Health Equity, and Cost,” To the Point (blog), Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 17, 2022

NYC Racial Equity Legislation and Infrastructure
NYC City Charter Section on Racial Equity
Mayor's Office of Racial Equity
NYC CORE

NY 1. Commission calls on city to release Racial Equity Plan by March 21

Link to Charter Preamble
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCcharter/0-0-0-4

Thanks to Jeff Jeudy for providing the music!

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