Dr. Medell Briggs-Malonson, MD, MPH, MSHS is the Chief of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the UCLA Hospital and Clinic System and a practicing emergency room physician. She is also an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In her current role, she is responsible for the implementation and oversight of organizational structures and initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity among UCLA Health staff, patients, and communities.

In this conversation, we cover Dr. Briggs’ journey as a leader in both health equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion both locally and nationally. We discuss how UCLA Health approaches these topics and some of the important insights she has regarding leadership principles to improve the U.S. healthcare system.

From a young age, Dr. Briggs knew she wanted to become a doctor from a very young age and how she was exposed to the need for changes in the healthcare system, especially among the minority community. Her passion grew through her involvement in various organizations throughout college. And it was during her time at Harvard Medical School when she decided to go into public health policy and systems redesign. She also shares about her experience as a woman of color and the obstacles she faced and overcame to get to where she is today.

In her role with UCLA Health, Dr. Briggs is charged with taking care of people within the organization, their patients and their communities. As a healthcare system, their #1 role is to provide equitable care. Within the organization, she makes sure they are promoting an environment that is inclusive, respectful, and celebratory of diversity. KP and Dr. Briggs discuss the intersectionality of health equity in how we treat patients and equity, diversity, and inclusion within our organizations—and how both are required in today’s healthcare.

In order to advance health equity, Dr. Briggs believes you have to start with the people providing the services. She expands by talking about the process she went through to ensure that equity principles are being interwoven into the day-to-day practices and procedures to get to the systemic change they are looking to achieve.

The two also discuss the financial impact of reducing health disparities and how it drives the financial game plan of an institution. Dr. Briggs dives into the responsibilities of health systems to being part of the communities and addressing the social drivers that play a larger role in overall health outcomes. She shares a couple practical initiatives of UCLA Health, including the Homeless Healthcare Collaborative, which deploys medically equipped vans throughout LA community to treat those experiencing homelessness.

As a true data expert, Dr. Briggs also gives listeners insights into how UCLA Health is using a robust approach to better understand who they’re serving, how well they’re serving, and any possible inequities that need to be addressed.

KP and Dr. Briggs round out the conversation by discussing landmark federal legislation that she has played a key role in drafting, including the Equal Care for All Act, which is the first piece of legislation that holds providers and organizations accountable for inequitable outcomes.

Connect with Dr. Briggs:

https://twitter.com/MedellBriggsMD

The Visionary Leader: 7 Solutions to Implement Successful Change in Modern Healthcare

Connect with KP:

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