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Health Matters: Providence Saint John's Health Center | 9 T he pandemic put the spotlight on an uncomfortable truth: Health care is not equal, and that's nowhere more evident than in our communities of color. Providence Saint John's Health Center has taken action to level the playing field in health delivery by forming a Board of Directors Health Equity Committee focused on providing more support to our most vulnerable populations. Recent studies have examined the deadly impacts of health care disparities on racial and ethnic minorities, showing that nationwide these groups are less likely to receive routine medical care, and when they do seek care, it isn't always equitable. As a consequence, people of color experience higher rates of premature death. For example, the average life expectancy for Black Americans in 2021 was 70.8 years, while it was 76.4 for white Americans. SAINT JOHN'S EQUITY OUTREACH The new committee, which meets bimonthly, is led by board member Kristin McCowan, the senior director of government and community relations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is supported by Providence Southern California Director of Health Equity Denise Colomé. The committee, which had its first meeting in May, is in the process of developing a charter, determining the areas of its focus and setting goals for its initial year. The hospital's first initiative in health equity is well underway, however, and Providence Saint John's Health Center Chief Executive Michael Ricks says it was inspired by a bedside conversation between the hospital's nationally renowned specialist in surgical oncology, Anton Bilchik, MD, and his celebrity patient Chadwick Boseman, who was then being treated for stage III colon cancer. "It started with a personal connection," says Ricks. Accounting for more than 50,000 deaths a year, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., yet when it is caught early it is highly treatable. While colorectal cancer screening has been proven to reduce mortality, screening rates are low in minority communities. Black Americans are about 20% more likely to get CRC and about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups. Average life expectancy of white Americans vs. Black Americans Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the common cause of cancer deaths 76.4 2ND MOST COMMON > 70.8 B Y THE The friendship between Dr. Anton Bilchik (left) and the late Chadwick Boseman helped inspire the initiative. When the 43-year-old Boseman, star of Black Panther, died in 2020 from complications of the disease, "we became even more determined to improve colorectal cancer screening in the Black community," says Ricks. The Saint John's Health Center Foundation, with the board's approval, committed $3 million to the effort, and Providence Southern California donated an additional $2 million. "I couldn't be more proud about our team being all-in addressing this significant health disparity," says Ricks. "We're putting our money where our mouth is and it's going to save lives." A PARTNERSHIP WITH STAND UP TO CANCER To achieve its goal of raising screening rates to 80%, Providence Saint John's is working with Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) and numerous Community Health Action Teams. Formed in 2021, the SU2C Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team is a joint effort by SU2C, Exact Sciences and Providence Saint John's. It brings together leading researchers, including co-leader Dr. Bilchik, with patient advocates, community advocates and providers. The program's goals include: • identifying and funding community health organizations to increase awareness about screenings and to improve research and screening participation • working with health organizations to improve follow-up care • creating mentorship opportunities for young scientists, researchers and doctors As part of the awareness effort, public service announcements featuring comedian George Lopez and musician will.i.am began airing in May on radio, TV and social media, in Spanish and English, to spread the word about the

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