Marquette hosts community conversation panel on health equity

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Local leaders came together on Thursday, Mar. 4 to talk about equity and justice in public health.

The discussion was part of a series of community conversations hosted by Marquette University.

“Listening is the first step,” Oneida Nation council member Daniel Guzman King said.

Panelists talked about responding to the public health crisis while also advancing equity and justice through community engagement.

“I think it’s the role of healthcare systems, public health, all of us to try to really start to move toward understanding systemic racism,” Ascension Wisconsin Director of Community Benefit Mary Jessen said. “It’s about belongingness, inclusion and diversity in understanding how we create those stresses in a system that does disproportionately impact different individuals.”

It was brought up that any methods to advance health equity need to be mindful of the impact. For example, to increase access to healthcare, the barriers to access need to be removed. Panelists agreed that can be done through talking with the community.

“If we move together in all of these organizations within the community taking the lead from the community, we’re going to have the best possibility of a good outcome,” Jessen said.

The discussion was put on by Marquette’s Office of Economic Engagement.