State Affairs Spotlight Series: Drs. Lisa Cooper and Deidra Crews on Health Equity

On Tuesday, July 26, Drs. Lisa Cooper and Deidra Crews discussed the JHU Center for Health Equity and the JHU Urban Health Institute’s policy impact in Maryland as part of the State Affairs Team’s “Showcase Series,” a virtual discussion series, open to the public, covering a variety of Johns Hopkins programs that have a direct impact on the quality of life of Marylanders.

Each session of the Showcase Series is facilitated by a state legislator and highlights different Hopkins programs that have a statewide impact and/or have a strong relationship the State. In this session, Drs. Cooper and Crews - moderated by Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk - explored how healthcare facilities, legislators, and researchers can make healthcare institutions more equitable, communities more engaged, and health policies and practices more effective so as to eliminate disparities in health and healthcare in Baltimore, the United States, and the world. They shared insights into how the Center for Health Equity (CHE) and the Urban Health Institute (UHI) are promoting equity in health and healthcare for socially at-risk populations by advancing scientific knowledge, educating and training scholars, engaging and partnering with communities, raising public awareness of health inequities, and advocating for changes in clinical practice and policy.

During the session, Drs. Cooper and Crews stressed the importance of engaging community leaders to help identify the needs and concerns of Baltimore residents and inform decisions about where to focus research that best serves the Baltimore community. Dr. Cooper went on to discuss the importance conducting research in a way that empowers participants to share the benefits of their experience, stating "our study participants don't live in silos - they have social networks that can benefit from the changes participants make to their diets and health. We need to address problems comprehensively to maximize the impact of our work." A lively Q&A session commenced following the presentation. 

A recording of this installment of the Showcase Series is available to view on the Johns Hopkins YouTube channel. To find out about future installments of the Showcase Series, please visit Hopkins at Home.