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Addressing Structural Racism Through Health Equity with Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo
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Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo is Medical Director for the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid and MinnesotaCare programs and practices as a General Pediatrician and an Internal Medicine Hospitalist with Park Nicollet Health Services/HealthPartners.
He received a Zoology degree from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and was the Pediatric Chief Resident at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital.
His advocacy work has included the impact early childhood intervention and healthcare access have on the long-term prospects of our children and how physicians and health systems can address racial & health equity.
In this episode, we discuss his personal background and the important work he is leading in Minnesota to reduce health disparities.
Dr. Chomilo tells the story about his parents who both grew up in West Africa and both entered the medical field when they arrived in the United States and how that played a big role in his journey to becoming a doctor and an advocate for helping people navigate the healthcare system.
Dr. Chomilo discusses the impacts that the killings of Philando Castile in 2016 and George Floyd in 2020 had on his career, directing his focus toward addressing structural racism in the healthcare system. He helped to start Minnesota Doctors for Health Equity, which focused on protecting the social safety net, educating physicians on their role in addressing health and racial equity as citizens and advocating in front of legislature.
KP asks Dr. Chomilo about his journey to taking on the role of Director of Vaccine Equity during COVID-19 pandemic. He was also a part of the advisory committee for vaccine allocation priorities and framework, which included making recommendations for how the COVID-19 vaccine should be allocated.
Following the Trump Administration’s decision to prioritize adults 65 and older, Dr. Chomilo and his team quickly began to see great disparities in vaccination rates among minority groups. He discusses the initiatives and steps taken by his team to work to bridge those gaps in the state of Minnesota.
KP and Dr. Chomilo discuss his new role as the Senior Equity Advisor to the Minnesota Commissioner of Health and his response to broader systemic disparities around the state. They discuss a recent report released in February 2022 titled “Building Racial Equity Into the Walls of Minnesota Medicaid” and the findings, lessons and outcomes related to racial disparities and structural racism within the Minnesota Medicaid system.
The conversation shifts to leadership within the world of public health. They discuss Dr. Chomilo’s recent commencement speech at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health graduation ceremony where he shared the importance of living intentionally in the season where you are, the importance of leaning into discomfort, and the unique challenges sure to be faced by a new group of public health professionals.
Connect with Dr. Nathan Chomilo:
https://www.healthpartners.com/care/find/doctor/90257/
https://www.facebook.com/DrNateMN
Connect with KP:
linkedin.com/in/kaakpema-kp-yelpaala-379b269/
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