As Spectrum Health Lakeland begins a new initiative to reduce racial inequities in health around southwest Michigan, it’s named Dr. Lynn Todman as its vice president of health equity. She tells WSJM News it will be her job to help the healthcare system eliminate or narrow differences in outcomes. Todman says there is a difference between equality and equity.
“Equality refers to the concept of treating everybody the same,” Todman said. “That, in principle, is not an unreasonable thing to do, but people are not all similarly situated. People have different circumstances, different conditions, and equity implies that you give them the resources that they require based on their need.”
In her years as Lakeland’s director of population health, Todman says she’s learned there are large gaps in health equity in Berrien County. For example, a 19 year life expectancy gap between Stevensville and Benton Harbor. So how will Spectrum Health Lakeland address that? She can’t yet say.
“But I will tell you that the general frame that we’ll be looking through is interventions or programs or initiatives that give primacy to those that have the greatest need.”
Spectrum Health Lakeland announced last week it’s setting aside $50 million to address racial equity issues. It will use the interest off that money over ten years for the initiative. Part of its three-pronged approach will be transparency, and Todman says that’s why the public can expect to hear more as the effort continues.
