McKesson Foundation Health Equity Speaker Series: Providing Healthcare in American Indian Communities

McKesson Foundation Health Equity Speaker Series: Providing Healthcare in American Indian Communities

What does it really mean to have access to healthcare? Have you ever considered what it takes to provide effective, culturally responsive care in American Indian communities?

Join Dr. Sophina Calderon and Nicholas Cushman, PharmD, MHA, BCACP, for a conversation about the barriers affecting healthcare access in American Indian communities and the role pharmacists play in addressing them, from ensuring patients have access to medication to providing the culturally responsive care they need.

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McKesson Foundation Health Equity Speaker Series

Disparities in health and healthcare have been are prevalent, particularly in underserved or minority communities, as a result of a variety of factors such as birthplace, housing, education, race, age, sexual identity and other nonmedical factors. These factors are commonly referred to as the social determinants of health (SDOH). As a result of SDOH, quality healthcare and treatment can be difficult to access for many who don’t fall into the dominant group and must confront barriers to receive treatment.

Examples of barriers to adequate healthcare treatment include poverty, lack of access to quality education or positive social activities, and unhealthy environmental factors. These factors must be addressed in order to achieve positive health outcomes and equity in access to healthcare and treatment for all. To help illuminate and educate around issues involving social determinants of health, the College of Pharmacy and the McKesson Foundation have teamed up to launch the McKesson Foundation Health Equity Speaker Series.

For the past two years the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan in partnership with the McKesson Foundation has hosted a speaker series based on the topic of health equity. The McKesson Foundation is dedicated to advancing health outcomes for all with the mission to removing barriers to quality healthcare across the country, especially for vulnerable and underserved communities. The College of Pharmacy also has a longstanding history of fighting to address addressing disparities in healthcare and is a leader in the fight for equitable healthcare for all individuals. This alignment in values and mission of both organizations led to the provision awarding of a grant to resulted in the College of Pharmacy being awarded a grant in 2022 to launch what we now call the McKesson Foundation Health Equity Speaker Series, with the goal of educating the UM community and inspiring those around us to find solutions that address inequities in healthcare and beyond.

About our Funder, the McKesson Foundation
The McKesson Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to improving health outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations. It focuses on initiatives that address healthcare disparities, promote patient-centered care, and support cancer care and survivorship. Through grants, partnerships, and employee-driven giving programs, the foundation aims to foster innovative solutions that enhance community health and well-being.