Why Digital Platforms Must Be Leveraged to Engage and Improve Care to Underserved and Marginalized Communities

Roughly 20 years ago, I started my professional healthcare journey as a hospital executive in one of the largest and prestigious academic health systems in the country. At that time, as one of the few African American executives in the health system, I hoped to make an impact on how we engaged and improved the patient journey for the large number of black and brown patients in our region. A fellow executive who later became a mentor advised that I spend some time in our emergency room waiting areas as a starting point to better understanding the dynamics and range of healthcare disparity.