Becker's Hospital Review

28 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP POPULATION HEALTH How do we put equity into practice? Dr. Alisahah Cole talks CommonSpirit's COVID-19 vaccine strategy By Gabrielle Masson C ommonSpirit Health is working on the best ways to "operationalize equity" amid the pandemic and beyond, Alisa- hah Cole, MD, system vice president of popula- tion health innovation and policy, told Becker's. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system created in 2019 through the merger of Catholic Health Initia- tives and Dignity Health, operates 139 hospi- tals across 21 states and is one of the largest Medicaid providers in the U.S. Dr. Cole joined CommonSpirit in June last year as the system's first vice president of pop- ulation health innovation and policy. She leads initiatives focused on vulnerable populations, health equity and clinical care transformation through innovation with a focus on value. Pandemic effects on Black and Latino communities CommonSpirit serves every type of popula- tion demographic, Dr. Cole said. Nationwide, Black and Latino populations have a much higher likelihood of being hospitalized or dy- ing from COVID-19, Dr. Cole noted, adding that data show these communities are also less likely to have access to COVID-19 care or treatment. Dr. Cole is working to make sure CommonSpirit Health's outreach is thoughtful and effectively mitigates barriers Black and Latino communities face. How CommonSpirit Health is cre- ating more equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine Community partnerships are key, said Dr. Cole. Leveraging well-established, trusted part- nerships in the community has been critical to educate and create awareness about COVID-19 and the vaccine, Dr. Cole continued. For ex- ample, CommonSpirit Health worked with the Los Angeles city government; Willowbrook, Calif.-based Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a historically Black col- lege/university; LA Care Health Plan; and the NAACP to host a vaccination site at a Los An- geles sports park. e event, which included transportation efforts, spanned multiple days, with more than 20,000 COVID-19 vaccines ad- ministered to high-risk populations. Dr. Cole credited the success of the event to focused partnerships with trusted organizations. e healthcare industry oen expects people to come to them, which needs to be rethought when considering higher-risk populations, said Dr. Cole. CommonSpirit Health has ex- panded its telehealth platforms, as many sys- tems have amid the pandemic, but is working to leverage the technology without uninten- tionally widening barriers to care. Reaching out may include Zoom or FaceTime, but it may also just be a simple phone call. e most important thing to remember is to con- nect with patients in the ways they want to be connected with, Dr. Cole said. CommonSpirit Health developed an out- reach stratification tool that generates patient lists around who is at high, medium and low risk. Everyone needs education about the COVID-19 vaccine, but the health system is strategizing the most efficient ways to reach different populations, with intentional out- reach for high-risk patients via phone call. Dr. Cole also noted the importance of health literacy consideration. CommonSpirit Health has also traveled to some farms, specifically in Northern Cali- fornia, Dr. Cole said, citing farm workers' higher incidence of contracting COVID-19 than the general population. Nursing leader- ship is working with the agriculture industry and providing vaccines on-site at the camps. For senior populations, CommonSpirit offers home visits to overcome potential transporta- tion barriers. CommonSpirit already has in- frastructure in place to best work with home- less populations, making it easier to reach out since the trusted patient-provider relationship is already established. For all these popula- tions, knowing the local market dynamic and leveraging local partnerships are critically im- portant, according to Dr. Cole. Largest challenges when reaching un- derserved communities to improve vaccine access One of the largest challenges is staffing. "Our front-line clinical staff has just been amazing," Dr. Cole said. "A lot of our staff members are stretched thin and still showing up every day and taking care of our communities." e pan- demic has been challenging for everyone, in- cluding, if not especially, healthcare workers. Clinics and vaccination sites have to be well- staffed and robust to deliver equitable vaccine distribution. Dr. Cole said President Joe Biden's plan to fund up to 100,000 public health work- ers could significantly help the effort. Supply shortages are another challenge, though Dr. Cole expressed optimism about the FDA emergency authorization of Johnson & John- son's vaccine. She hopes the authorization will improve supply and accelerate the vaccination process within vulnerable communities. Why health systems should prioritize vaccine equity Part of CommonSpirit Health's mission is to care for the vulnerable, one of the reasons Dr. Cole joined the organization. Health systems must be mindful of the communities they serve. Different communities have different barriers, and healthcare leadership must build equity policies on the front-end of the process from the beginning, Dr. Cole concluded. n Former Brigham Health President Dr. Betsy Nabel rejoins Moderna's board By Morgan Haefner B etsy Nabel, MD, the former president of Brigham Health in Boston, rejoined Moderna's board, effective March 10. Dr. Nabel had stepped down from her role at Brigham Health, which in- cludes Brigham and Women's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization. She left the position at the end of February to pursue opportunities in biotech innovation. Dr. Nabel sat on Moderna's board from December 2015 to July 2020. She re- signed in July 2020 to alleviate potential concerns about a conflict of interest be- tween the outcome of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine trial and Brigham and Wom- en's Hospital. The hospital was one of the sites for the company's phase 3 trial. n

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