Ep 41: Operationalizing Health Equity with Lauren Powell, MPA, Ph.D, President & CEO, The Equitist, VP, Health Equity and Community Wellness, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Meet Dr. Powell:
Lauren Powell is the President & CEO of The Equitist, LLC and concurrently serves as the Vice President, US Health Equity & Community Wellness for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Formerly the Director of Health Equity for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Dr. Powell was the youngest Black woman and the first with a Ph.D. to serve in this role. She earned a Master in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Doctor of Philosophy in Population Health Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
In This Episode:
Dr. Powell shares with Sanjula how her experiences during Hurricane Katrina and working as a clinical researcher helped reshape her career trajectory and passion for health equity. She also shares the challenges of being the only black woman at the leadership table.
- How Dr. Powell describes health equity (15:10)
- Dr. Powell experienced the social determinants of health her senior year of college with Hurricane Katrina (2:39)
- Diversity is changing the face of public health and will attract more to pursue as a career (13:13)
- Keeping a network of leaders and mentors helps to not feel alone at the top (33:21)
- The COVID crisis goes beyond having sanitizer and safety measures (38:13)
