Interviews

Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN, medical director and CEO, Joi Life Wellness Neurology Clinic, addresses several reasons that have potential to delay a correct multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in minority patient populations, including social determinants of health.

Addressing racial disparities in skin cancer involves education, understanding rates of risk and ethnicity, and knowledge of the different types of melanoma, which makes skin cancer disparities complex to attack, said Sancy Leachman, MD, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Dermatology and director of the Melanoma Research Program at the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University.

There is a concerted effort to identify biomarkers to understand the risk of progression of diabetic eye disease, but many studies have not been performed in diverse populations, explained Jennifer K. Sun, MD, MPH, associate professor of ophthalmology and chief of the Center for Clinical Eye Research and Trials, Harvard Medical School; and chair, DRCR Retina Network.

Elizabeth Johnson, LPN, PACS, BPCA, CEO of MedicoCX, co-CEO of Healthcare Advocate Summit, and an Asembia 2023 presenter, discusses why more empathetic approaches that take into account the full range of the patient experience are needed to improve patient-focused health care.

Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, Tennessee Oncology, co-authored a recent paper on the complexities of the rural cancer experience; the principal conclusion was potential for a streamlined care process to optimize care efficiencies and access, thereby improving patient outcomes.

It is likely that social determinants of health (SDOH) may affect the differences in outcomes from multiple sclerosis (MS) that we see among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx populations, absent more data on their genetics and ancestry, noted Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN.

Much more work needs to be done surrounding multiple sclerosis (MS) and treating pregnant patients safely, noted Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, FAAN, medical director and CEO, Joi Life Wellness Neurology Clinic.

Nicole Rosendale, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of California San Francisco, neurologist/neurohospitalist, talks about how data on the LGBTQ+ community in the neurology space is needed in order to provide effective value-based health care.

Nicole Rosendale, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of California San Francisco, neurologist/neurohospitalist, discusses how many unknowns prevail in data concerning neurologic care for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Lack of knowledge about how skin conditions present on lightly pigmented skin has resulted in diagnostic delays, underassessment, and an impact on quality of life for patients with skin of color.

Shiela Plasencia, director of practice support at the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses the benefits of collecting social determinants of health data for both the patient and provider.

Not only are Black and Brown communities, as well as neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status, disproportionately impacted by climate change, but these communities are not as readily able to adapt to mitigate the impacts climate change has on health.

Sashi Naidu, MD, is director of research at Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, where the No One Left Alone (NOLA) initiative is working to break down cancer health disparities among its patients and prevent care fragmentation.

David R. Penberthy, MD, MBA, 2022-2023 Association of Community Cancer Centers president, addresses technological advancements made during his presidency and how community oncology is working to ensure gains in health equity continue moving forward.

In part 2 of this 2-part series on health equity in the treatment of psoriasis, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, and Bryan Buckley, DrPH, discuss how providers can address disparities in psoriasis care, specifically with race, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in mind.

Close to 80% of what influences how long someone is going to live is where and how they live, and we need to pay more attention to that or we’re not paying attention to everything that affects their lives, explained David A. Eagle, MD, of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists.

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and incoming medical director at Thyme Care, spoke on how her organization’s tech platform incorporates social determinants of health (SDOH) in care navigation to ensure high quality care and treatment.

In part 1 of this 2-part series on health equity in the treatment of psoriasis, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, and Bryan Buckley, DrPH, discuss how providers can address disparities in care, specifically with race, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in mind.

Davey B. Daniel, MD, chief medical officer at OneOncology, shares his insights on health equity practices, as well as the importance of developing clinical models within community oncology.

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and incoming medical director at Thyme Care, discussed how the transition to value-based care can contribute to operational and financial risks among oncology practices, and the effectiveness of care navigation platforms in addressing these concerns.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Virginia Wang, PhD, and Matthew L. Maciejewski, PhD, who talk about their recent study on racial disparities in home dialysis, and what more needs to be done to increase uptake and reduce disparities in home dialysis for non-White patients.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, chief, Solid Tumor Medical Oncology; deputy director; and chief scientific officer at Miami Cancer Institute, spoke on the short- and long-term goals for Miami Cancer Institute’s Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research in improving minority patient enrollment in clinical trials.

Many people believe health equity is such a big issue that there is not much an individual practice can do to address it, explained Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy, Oncology Consultants of Houston.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, chief, Solid Tumor Medical Oncology; deputy director; and chief scientific officer at Miami Cancer Institute, addressed disparities in genomic testing among minority patients with cancer, as well as equitable care strategies at his organization’s Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research.

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and incoming medical director at Thyme Care, spoke on financial toxicity, heterogeneity of cancer, and other complex factors in oncology care systems that may perpetuate disparities in health care outcomes and delivery among patients.

Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates’ No One Left Alone initiative works to dismantle cancer health disparities and increase health care equity among its rural patient population. Sashi Naidu, MD, director of research, discusses delivering next-generation sequencing testing to patients.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, Miami Cancer Institute, discussed efforts being taken by his organization’s Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research to address disparities in clinical trial enrollment of minority patients in the United States.

Braden Manns, MD, MSc, a nephrologist and health economics researcher at the University of Calgary in Canada, will present the results of a randomized trial evaluating the impact of removing co-payments for drugs that treat chronic conditions on cardiovascular outcomes during the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday, March 5.

Joneigh Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, vice president and chief health equity officer for CVS Health, speaks on the goals of the Community Equity Alliance in improving health care disparities, particularly for cardiovascular health and mental health outcomes, within underserved communities.

We’ve found through health equity initiatives that the search for the right telehealth modality is never ending, explained Oncology Consultants of Houston’s Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, executive director of clinical strategy.