EVMS is planning a Center for Health Equity (CHE) as a way to highlight and address the serious health inequities that plague the people of Southeastern Virginia.
“As a health sciences university built by the community, for the community, EVMS has embraced a responsibility to address the health disparities and inequities affecting the Hampton Roads region,” says Richard V. Homan, MD, President, Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine. “It has been part of the institution’s mission since its founding and continues today.” (In the photo above, members of the Community Advisory Board are introduced to the EVMS Board of Visitors.)
The CHE is an outgrowth of a “listening series” created by the EVMS Board of Visitors to gain a better sense of the scope of the problem, says Theresa Emory, MD, Rector of the EVMS Board.
“Over the last several months, we have heard from hundreds of people who share stories of the often-heartbreaking health challenges they face,” Dr. Emory says. “The Center for Health Equity will serve as a regional focal point to help us confront the many stark health disparities that are far too prevalent in our region. This concerted approach is of vital importance to the health and well-being of everyone in our community.”
Phillip Jones, a member of the EVMS Community Advisory Board and a consultant with the firm Bain & Company, called the center “an important first step in addressing health disparities that have plagued the lives of disenfranchised communities. COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on these disparities, and I am confident that Hampton Roads will be at the vanguard in addressing these issues.”
