Health & Veritas Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith: The Systemic Roots of Inequities in Health
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Nov 10, 2022 
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a Yale internist and health equity advocate who led initiatives in the Biden administration, shares her insights on combating systemic health disparities. She discusses the crucial role of economic opportunities in achieving health equity. Marcella emphasizes community workforce development as vital for enhancing access to care. Additionally, she addresses the success in closing racial vaccination gaps during the pandemic and highlights the importance of accountability and data in driving local health initiatives. Her optimism for future health equity leaders is palpable.
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Surrogate Endpoints Can Mislead Care
- Surrogate endpoints can mislead clinical decisions because lab improvements don't always translate to patient benefit.
- Harlan warns that trials must measure real health outcomes, not just biomarkers.
Head-To-Head Trials Are Essential
- Three large trials found no clinical benefit between similar drugs despite lab or mechanistic differences.
- Harlan highlights that head-to-head outcome trials remain essential even within drug classes.
Closing Racial Gaps In Vaccination
- Marcella recalls the administration's effort that closed adult racial gaps in COVID-19 vaccination.
- She credits coordinated leadership and heavy lifting across teams for that achievement.