NICHQ Webinar

From Awareness to Action: Strategies for Combating Racism in Health Systems

This is the third webinar in a series on health equity.

Racism continues to adversely affect the health of families across the country. There are stark racial disparities in health outcomes for moms and babies; and families of color have shared countless stories that reveal disturbing differences in care. 

Thus, the need to combat racism is undeniable, especially for those working in public health and health care. But what does this look like for an individual? NICHQ's new webinar will focus on providing strategies and guidance that individuals can use to identify and address racism and racial bias. 

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Understand and contextualize the three levels of racism: internalized, interpersonal and institutionalized/structural racism
  • Apply a racial equity lens to collective impact-based health improvement initiatives using six guiding questions 
  • Identify key strategies for designing intentional, action-oriented, and strengths-based approaches to start and sustain an equity-focused organizational culture shift 

This webinar has passed. View a recording here

About the speakers

Stacy Scott, PhD, MPA, NICHQ Senior Project Director: Scott has spent the past 30 years designing and implementing programs to address health disparities in under-resourced communities. In 2016, she founded the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center, an organization with a mission to empower the world’s communities to achieve equity in infant survival. She now works with NICHQ on multiple initiatives, including co-directing the National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep Improvement and Innovation Network. 


Avery Desrosiers, MPH: Desrosiers is dedicated to using a racial equity lens in her public health practice. Through consulting with the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center, she has built capacity among peers in the community to advance equity within their own work. Desrosiers also brings a strong background in project management, having worked on initiatives focused on early childhood systems building, breastfeeding and safe sleep, and infant mortality. Currently, she is a Senior Manager at the Ounce of Prevention Fund.