Community-Oriented Healthcare Can Promote Change

To combat the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 virus on the most vulnerable U.S. populations, healthcare workers must address the growing and multifaceted needs of a community by targeting four points of intervention: health, opportunities, partnerships, and empowerment.

Airica Steed, Ed.D., the first woman of color president and C.E.O. of The MetroHealth System, is a key player in meeting the above goals. The first goal, addressing the health of the community, targets systemic injustices that have often plagued non-White and working-class communities. Existing disparities in patient care across the U.S. have created a stark racial and class divide in access to quality and consistent healthcare. For these communities, access to proper healthcare services is fraught with unintended barriers such as inflexible job schedules, inadequate education about the healthcare and insurance process, and a lack of trust in healthcare professionals.

A health and wealth-building model
Driven by her own traumatic experiences with childbirth in the healthcare system, Steed uses a health and wealth-building model to ensure underserved community members do not repeat her own experiences. The second and third goals are to increase the opportunities for those vulnerable in the community by partnering with community leaders and organizers. The gentrification and disinvestment from vulnerable communities have created a severe job shortage, with downstream consequences for food access and overall community health. This cycle of stifled job growth and attenuated resources exacerbates the preexisting systemic inequalities that prevent the appropriate use of healthcare resources and job growth.

For instance, Ohio has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, and a disproportionate number of incarcerated individuals are Black Americans. These numbers represent devastating racial disparities in policing, mental health care, and access to social mobility opportunities. Ohio has also seen an overwhelming increase in adults reporting poor mental health, with approximately 25 percent of adults aged 18-25 reporting mental health difficulties while simultaneously reporting unmet mental health needs. Steed wants to address these systemic inequalities through the dedicated hiring of diverse healthcare workers and mental health professionals who can, through cultural match and awareness, help mentally struggling individuals meet their needs at early intervention.

Preparing students for a future in healthcare

Steed is paving the way for leaders to address the mental health needs of the broader community by not only addressing the existing needs but also paving the way for the success of future diverse doctors. We all recognize the excess criminalization of individuals in psychological distress and there are clear steps to increase the number of healthcare and mental health professionals within a community. For example, a partnership was established in 2016 with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Lincoln-West School of Science and Health, a high school in a hospital program where youth work closely with professionals and develop a deeper understanding of the healthcare process.

This program demystifies the ivory tower, providing young professionals early access to higher education institutions with invaluable implications for their career development. Here, students can learn about the ins and outs of hospital management, and the early career experience and professional development opportunities that will serve as key steppingstones for their future.

“To demonstrate change, you need to be the change,” Steed stated. Her dedication to addressing the specified needs of the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, community is reflected in her measured success. For instance, in 2023 alone over 80,000 meals were delivered to families in need, and there is now expanded access to social services for vulnerable community members. Steed hopes that through these and future programming, healthcare leaders will continue to make steady progress in addressing community concerns.