Public health, healthcare providers press on with disparities work, amid scrutiny of DEI programs 

Public health and healthcare providers are pushing ahead with their work to address persistent health disparities, as diversity, equity and inclusion efforts draw federal scrutiny.

President Donald Trump has sought to end DEI programs, including signing an executive order on his first day of office that directed federal agencies to terminate all “‘equity-related’ grants or contracts.”

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute gives the state low marks for measurable health differences among different urban, rural, racial, ethnic and educational groups.

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis said the “weaponization of terms and terminology is really challenging because that has had, certainly, a chilling effect on what everybody does.”

“The environment is becoming rather volatile,” he said at a Wisconsin Health News event Tuesday. “At the same time, the work stays, and it’s here, and we have a commitment to follow that mission.”

Sandy Brekke, director of population health innovation and programming at Emplify Health, said they’re looking at word choice, especially when it comes to workforce and hiring practices.

“In terms of our patient care, we’re not changing anything,” she said. “We are still committed to all populations.”

Julia Harris-Robinson, Outreach Community Health Centers CEO, said that the federal situation may impact their ability to hire providers. For instance, they have a program that offers student loan repayment for their healthcare providers.

“That may get cut,” she said. “That’s the only thing that allows us to be able to hire someone over the larger hospital systems, and we won’t have staff to be able to provide the services we provide if we can’t have that enticement to keep them.”