Health Justice Explained: Dr. Seun Ross on Ending Medical Racism and Healthcare Disparities

In this episode of The Healthy Project Podcast, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Dr. Seun Ross, a leading expert in health justice and racial disparities in medicine. They discuss the difference between health equity and health justice, the impact of medical racism, and the role of policy change in health equity. Dr. Ross also shares her work in removing racial bias in healthcare and how it led to 700 Black patients moving up on the kidney transplant list.

If you're passionate about public health advocacy, systemic racism in medicine, and healthcare reform, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ The difference between health equity and health justice
✅ How medical racism is embedded in clinical decision tools
✅ The role of structural barriers in healthcare and their impact on health disparities
✅ The groundbreaking work Dr. Ross has done to eliminate race in medicine
✅ How policy change in health equity can improve outcomes for marginalized communities
✅ Actionable steps for public health experts and healthcare professionals to advocate for health justice

Episode Chapters

⏳ 00:00 - Introduction – Corey Dion Lewis introduces the topic and guest.
⏳ 00:37 - Meet Dr. Seun Ross – Background on Dr. Ross and her passion for health justice.
⏳ 01:48 - Defining Health Justice – The difference between health equity, health justice, and social determinants of health.
⏳ 04:01 - Layers of Health Inequity – Understanding structural barriers in healthcare and racial disparities in medicine.
⏳ 06:21 - Why Well-Intended Programs Fail – The need for holistic approaches in healthcare reform.
⏳ 08:24 - Addressing Root Causes – Why fixing social determinants of health alone isn’t enough.
⏳ 10:51 - Race in Medicine: A Structural Barrier – How racial bias in healthcare affects patient care.
⏳ 12:20 - Removing Race from Clinical Guidelines – Dr. Ross’s work in eliminating medical racism from clinical decision tools.
⏳ 15:10 - The Impact of Removing Race-Based Algorithms – Real-world effects of policy change, including kidney transplant disparities.
⏳ 17:02 - The Role of Multidisciplinary Experts – Why public health experts, sociologists, and policy makers must work together.
⏳ 19:50 - Navigating Healthcare Advocacy in 2025 – How to continue healthcare advocacy despite political challenges.
⏳ 21:46 - Health Equity and the Law – Legal protections for health justice movement and healthcare inequities.
⏳ 23:31 - Dr. Ross’s Future Advocacy Work – Upcoming projects with the Encoding Equity Alliance.
⏳ 25:09 - Closing Thoughts & How to Connect – Where to find Dr. Seun Ross online.

Resources & Links

🔗 Connect with Dr. Seun Ross on LinkedIn
🔗 Learn more about the Encoding Equity Alliance

Connect with Me:
Website: https://www.coreydionlewis.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreydionlewis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreydlewis/
Learn More About The Healthy Project:
Website: https://www.healthyprojectmedia.com/
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