A few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ara Stanford rented a van, loaded it up with medical supplies, and headed to Philadelphia.
Stanford, who grew up in Philadelphia and is a pediatric surgeon in Montgomery County, couldn’t stand the flurry of news articles detailing how Black people are far less likely to be tested or vaccinated despite being at higher risk for COVID-19.
Stanford parked his van outside churches, SEPTA stations, and in empty parking lots in Philadelphia’s hardest-hit, low-income neighborhoods. Within weeks, the line to get tested and vaccinated stretched around the block as he and his colleagues, who began calling themselves the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, prepared for the day.
Stanford is chronicling her experience with the pandemic and her subsequent efforts to address health disparities in a new book. Take care of them like your own childrenOn sale from August 6th.
In it, she talks about the secret to success: trust.
“The biggest thing is trust, that’s it,” she told The Inquirer in a recent interview. “It takes time to build trust. It’s not just one contact, it’s multiple contacts.”
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium provided care to residents who were not connected to the city of Philadelphia or its major health care system. The group’s work has been praised nationally, and in 2022 President Joe Biden appointed Stanford to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ regional operations.
She left that post last year to refocus on the Dr. Ara Stanford Center for Health Equity, a wellness clinic she founded in a neighborhood in North Philadelphia where life expectancy is 18 years shorter than in wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods.
Extensive research shows that positive relationships between healthcare providers and patients are key to improving health outcomes, especially in communities of color, where deep-rooted distrust of healthcare providers may prevent people from seeking the care they need.
Stanford University urged Philadelphia’s leading health care providers to consider taking the following steps to build trust within the communities they serve:
Putting down roots
Pop-up clinics, free health events, and mobile cancer screening vans are helpful because they allow people to get the services they need without having to travel to a health facility, but they are only temporary.
Health systems that want to send a message that they’re truly investing in their communities should set up permanent clinics and services to make it easy for people to get the care they need any day of the week, not just special occasions, she said.
Set up access times
Offering weekend and evening hours will greatly improve access for people who can’t take time off work to see a doctor.
Extended hours show health systems they understand patients’ needs and help build trust.
Act happy to see them
A friendly welcome from a receptionist or nurse can go a long way to putting patients at ease, especially if they haven’t been seen in a while or are feeling anxious about their appointment.
please sit down
Doctors often stand when talking to patients because they are pressed for time and can enter data into electronic medical records while they’re talking, but standing while talking to a seated patient can create power dynamics that aren’t conducive to relationship building.
“Even if you sit down for two minutes, it lets the patient know that you’re here and they don’t need to go anywhere else,” she said.
This may be especially meaningful for people of color, who are more likely than white patients to say they don’t think their doctor listens to them or that they’ve been disrespected by their doctor in the past, she said.
We hire from within the community.
Patient navigators are valuable liaisons between the health care system and patients, and they don’t need an advanced degree — just good interpersonal skills.
follow up
Patients who arrive for appointments after years of not receiving treatment may feel overwhelmed, with needed tests and services backlogged.
Following up to confirm schedules and complete appointments may feel like help that is outside the scope of a provider’s responsibilities, but it helps build lasting relationships that make patients want to return.
“Especially patients who haven’t been seen in a while, these are the ones we really need to care about,” she says.
