68 - Michellene Davis - How We Can Fight to Address the Social Determinants of Health

Summary: In light of the recent events across the country, I wanted to read a statement that Penn HealthX sent out to our community and the Perelman School of Medicine. Along with this, we decided to move up an episode in our release schedule with Michellene Davis. Michelle is a healthcare leader who has dedicated her entire career to addressing the Social Determinants of Health, especially as they impact communities of color. I’ll begin by reading our statement, and then I’ll tell you more about Michellene and the episode. --------------------------------------------------- Dear HealthX Community, We write to address the recent events happening across our country. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and David McAtee are but a few of far too many innocent Black people that have been needlessly killed at the hands of police officers. These tragedies are indicative of the institutional and systemic racism that has plagued our country for centuries. This is deeply saddening for us and cannot continue. HealthX condemns all forms of racial hatred, violence, and injustice against our Black peers and the Black community at large. Predatory business practices, inequitable access to healthcare innovations, and unjust restriction from care based on financial constructs in our health system have perpetuated the racial inequities in this country. As future leaders in these sectors of healthcare, we have a responsibility to take an active role in dismantling the systems that promote harm to Black bodies and the exclusion of Black voices. As individuals, we must play an active role in fighting racial injustice in every aspect of our lives. We are committed to furthering the development of Black leaders in healthcare management, entrepreneurship, and technology. We have not been perfect in this regard, but we are dedicated to improvement. We have begun and will continue to develop inclusive programming and partner with Black organizations within Penn and the Philadelphia community to have a positive impact on our community in need. Through the generous commitment of alumna Marketa Wills, MD, MBA, in 2019, we received funding specifically dedicated to supporting students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine which will help support this mission. We reaffirm our commitment to this cause today and every day. In solidarity, The Penn HealthX Board ----------------------------------------------- As I mentioned earlier, our guest for today’s episode is Michellene Davis. A graduate of Seton Hall for undergrad and law school, Michelle began her career as a trial litigator, before moving into government roles where she was the NJ State Treasurer, the CEO of the NJ Lottery, and worked as a Chief Policy Council for Jon Corzine. Today, she is the EVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for RWJ Barnabas Health in New Jersey. She was a panelist at the Wharton Business in Healthcare Conference earlier this year, where she shared her experiences addressing the Social Determinants of Health. Notably, our conversation happened in mid-May before the recent tragedies, protests, and calls for policy changes, but the content of the conversation is more relevant than ever. I personally learned a lot from Michellene about the difficulties and barriers in place and what it will take to ensure that we continue to fight for change. We discussed her role at RWJ Barnabas, how she became interested in the SDoH, policy changes she would like to see, some examples of successful programs, and advice to those who want to be advocates. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michellene Davis. Stay strong, and stay safe. Footnotes Michellene’s Website Bio http://michellenedavis.com/about/ Michellene’s RWJBarnabas Bio https://www.rwjbh.org/why-rwjbarnabas-health-/social-impact/social-impact-and-community-investment-strategic/the-team/michellene-davis/