American novelist, writer, playwright, poet, essayist and civil rights activist James Baldwin poses at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southern France, on November 6, 1979.
Recently, I attended the Socrates Program by the prestigious Aspen Institute, where leaders from all walks of life attended to discuss American History and the teachings of James Baldwin. It was a privilege to have this session moderated by John Stauffer, a Harvard professor of English, American Studies, and African American Studies at Harvard University. He writes and lectures on the Civil Warh era, antislavery, social protest movements, and photography.
“ The questions which one asks oneself begin, at least, to illuminate the world, and become one’s key to the experience of others” – James Baldwin
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
During our discussions, we explored the importance of discussing American History, and we walked the path of James Baldwin, who strived to belong and found a way to acknowledge and express his longing for equity and belonging. Our intimate conversations, where we shared our stories about the importance of creating a just, equitable, and hopeful society, became more evident. Some of the takeaways I was able to grasp and translate for healthcare are as follows:
Intersectionality
The importance of looking at societal factors and intersectionality, more than just the structured law to give someone the right solution to create a just society, was intriguing and moving. As we are inclining towards an all-inclusive economy model and value-based care, the same concept applies to our healthcare leaders to view patients in a holistic manner considering their socio-economic, digital access, lifestyle stressors, and many more factors. That would help to give them personalized care and create a system that is inclusive, affordable and accessible. Going beyond our structured approach and making some mind shifts in our process would be vital for this change.
Diversity a program, inclusion is a mindset
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Smriti Kirubanandan Smriti Kirubanandan is a Growth and Strategic Partnerships Executive. Passionate about driving growth across all industries in North America, she specializes in creating high-impact strategic partnerships that transcend industry verticals. As a trusted leader, she fosters executive relationships and cultivates partnerships at the convergence of emerging technology, innovation, and empathy. She integrates Go-to-Market […]
As organizations are eagerly trying to implement diversity, equity and inclusion measures — and from our session, it seemed to be the new required buzzword — it was evident that diversity is a structured program. It brings in people from different walks of life to conduct work together, while inclusion is the experience one has when in the program and if the individual has been able to feel a sense of belonging. For a longitudinal healthcare system to sustain itself in its practice, the purpose of belonging need to be evoked, and the importance of experience and empathy must override the structured requirement. This would facilitate healthcare workers to meet patients where they are, especially for vulnerable communities, and give them a voice to better our system and society.
Health narratives
James Baldwin was an excellent writer, and he was able to express his struggles and resilience through writing to inspire others and, most importantly, allow us to walk in his shoes. His readings from “Notes of a Native Son” did precisely that. Creating health narratives focused on patients and using this data as a learning curve would better help us reframe our thought process and reimagine how we approach healthcare from a technology and service perspective. Derived from the Health Humanities Portrait Approach — which centers the patient’s own words using illness narratives, patients’ shared stories give providers better insights to create more equity and affordability in the system. A perfect expression from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that people from certain racial and ethnic minority groups were at a higher risk of Covid.
Creating Health narratives can tie in many stakeholders from a cross-industrial standpoint to further allow our health and wellness ecosystem to grow in an innovative and empathetic format.
In conclusion
Our history is clear evidence of our weakness and showcases our resilience and determined nature to create a society that is equal, valuable, and empathetic. These reflections serve as a great tool to create a better future for healthcare and the community.
Photo: RALPH GATTI/AFP via Getty Images
Smriti Kirubanandan is a Growth and Strategic Partnerships Executive. Passionate about driving growth across all industries in North America, she specializes in creating high-impact strategic partnerships that transcend industry verticals. As a trusted leader, she fosters executive relationships and cultivates partnerships at the convergence of emerging technology, innovation, and empathy. She integrates Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies, technology, and innovative solutions to elevate growth trajectories and expand market presence. She also spearheads brand development, thought leadership, and market research.
Smriti was selected as a Young Global Leader 2023 by the World Economic Forum, a member of the Young Leaders Circle at the Milken Institute, and the Founder of the HLTH Forward Podcast. This award-winning media platform hosts healthcare leaders, policymakers, and artists to discuss the challenges in the system and what we could do collectively to move healthcare forward.
An empathetic and innovative strategic policy advisor has helped organizations globally build the capacity to empower people to engage in wellness programs and is responsible for educating small farmers in Africa to lift them out of poverty to improve food & and nutrition insecurity, impacting 2 million people annually. In 2022, Smriti was appointed to serve the Los Angeles County food equity round table as a Nutrition and policy Advisor to design and strategize programs to address food insecurity by educating and improving access and affordability to nutritious food and appointed to the Board at Akshaya Patra Foundation, World's most prominent NGO feeding 2 million kids/day. Smriti has shared her thought leadership across many national forums.
She gained her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering focussed on Robotics (BSCEN), followed by her Masters in Engineering Management (MSEM) from USC and Masters in Public Health (MPH) from UCLA. She is also a certified Raw Vegan Chef and Nutritionist. She serves the World Food Bank and Nourish CA board and is in a Fellowship at the American College of Healthcare Executives.
