Structural racism continues to be a major barrier to equitable health care, affecting access, outcomes, and the overall well-being of marginalized communities. Tackling these deeply rooted issues requires intentional leadership, community-driven solutions, and a commitment to amplifying the voices of those most impacted.

In this conversation, we hear from Hallie Pritchett, a leader in public health and social justice, who shares her experiences working with North Sound Accountable Communities of Health. Hallie sheds light on the challenges of structural racism in health care, the importance of collective leadership, and the steps needed to build a more just and inclusive system.

Introduce Yourself

I’m Hallie Pritchett from Seattle, WA, and I work for North Sound Accountable Communities of Health.

The Community/Healthcare Organization That I Come From

North Sound Accountable Communities of Health exists to create a just and inclusive culture where all members of our community can thrive, and we do this through a variety of ways.

We work on Medicaid expansion and transformation to increase access to care.

We work on emergency response for COVID and natural disasters or immigration and homelessness, and we work on innovative solutions to create opportunities for communities to meet the vital conditions needed to survive.

Structural Racism in Healthcare

Structural racism in health care is the systems of oppression and exclusion that we’ve built into these structures.

Things like lack of language translation, Aquacultural, Understanding, and Humility.

We have created these systems to exclude people from being able to receive or access health care.

I became aware of these pretty early on as I entered into society, as I recognized that I might have been one of the few people of color in a space and how I had to navigate those spaces.

I entered into a pre-medical field in college and was exposed to population health statistics which really hammered these disparities home.

Why We Need Collective Leadership to Address Structural Racism

Collective leadership is a style of leadership that works to include all voices.

This doesn’t just mean traditional leader or manager voices.

This includes community leaders.

This includes patrons.

This includes patients.

This includes caregivers.

When we include the voices of those who are most marginalized, then we can design for the most marginalized and create a system that uplifts us all.

Call to Action

My name is Hallie and together we’re taking down structural racism in health care.

Watch more JUSTICE SQUARED Conversations here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfIGeiArpUeV_B3Zgb4x-uVTaUEtRptca&si=HpJTq0cHbCS2BbAj