Are we truly achieving health equity when patients with sickle cell anemia face a stark lack of family counseling and support in hospitals? How can we claim fairness in healthcare when these basic needs are so often neglected? And what about cultural differences in healthcare? How frequently are these crucial aspects overlooked, perpetuating disparities? Is it any wonder that African-American patients often feel undervalued in a system that fails to recognize their humanity?

In this episode of the Productivity Smarts Podcast, host Gerald J. Leonard is joined by Dr. Mauvareen Beverley, an executive physician renowned for her expertise in patient engagement and cultural competency. As the author of Nine Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity, Dr. Beverley draws on her extensive experience to explain why cultural competency is essential in healthcare. She shares innovative approaches for improving health outcomes, focusing on African American communities and patients with sickle cell disease. Through personal stories, Dr. Beverley underscores the importance of understanding cultural contexts to enhance patient care and achieve meaningful results.

Don’t miss this episode for Dr. Beverley’s invaluable insights and actionable strategies for advancing equitable healthcare.

What We Discuss

• [02:32] Dr. Beverley's background

• [04:43] The bridge-team concept

• [05:47] Patient story: Sickle cell experience

• [07:41] Understanding patient needs

• [10:39] Sustainability of health equity initiatives

• [12:52] Barriers to health equity

• [14:53] Historical context of health disparities

• [20:24] Cultural competence in healthcare

• [22:34] Curiosity in patient engagement

• [29:04] Workplace health equity strategies

• [36:23] Bridging perceptions and reality

Notable Quotes

• [10:32] “My focus is on sustainability of a process that we're going to put in place to achieve health equity.” - Mauvareen

• [10:49] “If our health is not taken care of and we're not being advocated for or we don't know how to advocate for ourselves, our productivity will be shot.” - Gerald

• [20:24] “Recognize and treat all atrocity survivors the same.” - Mauvareen

• [27:06] “Once accurately diagnosed, there's no human being on planet Earth that can give it that. The millionaire can think, oh, I'll give you $1 million to take the cancer back. Oh, that's not enough. I'll give you 5 million.”- Mauvareen

• [29:07] “Eliminate the word non-adherent or non-compliant without asking implied questions.”- Mauvareen

• [35:26] “If you're designing a system based on perception and not reality, how are we able to solve the problem?”- Mauvareen

Resources

Dr. Mauvareen Beverley

• Website - https://drbeverley.com/

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauvareen-beverley-md/

• Book: The Nine Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity

Productivity Smarts Podcast

• Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com

Gerald J. Leonard

• Website - geraldjleonard.com

• Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com

• Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard

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