Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute Holds Annual Symposium To Address Health Disparities

Health disparities are rooted not only in the quality of medical care but largely in the social context in which individuals live and work. These "social determinants of health" include safe housing, access to public transportation, grocery stores and good schools, employment and job security, to name a few, all of which can vary greatly based on socioeconomic status and environment. Multiple organizations must work together to address these disparities. A comprehensive approach involving healthcare providers, community organizations, policymakers and individuals is needed to reduce health disparities. Each October, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute convenes an annual symposium of stakeholders to jumpstart solutions to health disparities.

This year’s symposium, The Weathering Theory and Cancer Prevention Symposium: Strategies for Promoting Health Equity, brought together over 200 community leaders and advocates to address healthcare disparities by transforming areas such as schools, housing, and issues faced by minority groups, as well as health and cancer prevention in marginalized communities. The concept of "weathering theory" was a key theme, with local organizations explaining how they use the lens to identify challenges and solutions.

The event featured keynote speaker Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, author of the book "Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society." The day also included other impactful speakers, including a patient sharing how a patient navigation program helped catch her cancer early, and local artist and educator Darius Steward, MFA, whose artwork entitled "Baggage Claim" was the featured art for this year’s symposium, spoke about the baggage he and his family carry from his mother’s passing from cancer. 

Several lively panel discussions rounded out the day and included topics on addressing the health impacts on LGBTQ+ populations, breaking the cycle of invisibility and health disparities with collaborative community-based interventions involving diverse Asian communities, local programs’ impact on disparities within the urban setting, and a panel of Ohio Medicaid Managed Care Health Equity Directors highlighting coordinated efforts addressing health-related social needs.

Overall, speakers and attendees utilized the weathering lens to better understand the health challenges happening within Northeast Ohio and the supports that organizations are putting into place to address those issues.