As much as we would like to think that everyone gets a fair shake at the stick in this world,

there are real and meaningful inequities that surround us in our everyday lives,

and those inequities can become more pronounced as we face increasingly more challenging

situations. I'm very excited to talk today with Dr. Maria Hernandez, who is going to take

us through a discussion about how health care systems can do better at serving vulnerable populations

and how women who, believe it or not, are one of those vulnerable populations,

can better advocate for themselves in the health care system. After that, I am going to talk to my good

friend Rachel James, who went out on a limb and decided that for her white suburban family, the place where they really belonged,

wanted to establish a business, a home, and contribute to the community is in an underserved,

neglected urban area of the world. I'm going to talk to her about why she did that and why she thinks

it is so important that communities be built up and not forgotten. Welcome to the Lindsay

Elmore show, a podcast that helps you find fulfillment amidst chaos. On this show, I interview thought leaders,

doctors, creatives, spiritual gurus, and game changers who inspire you to pursue your dreams,

overcome obstacles, and leave your mark.

Dr. Maria Hernandez is president and chief operating officer of Impact for Health, a California firm that is focused on health care innovations that advance health equity.

She helps health care systems develop strategies, recruit good talent, and develop that talent,

engage with their patients and their communities to help overcome health care disparities wherever they exist.

She also has developed an inclusion scorecard for population health as well as rubrics and tactics to become a more inclusive leader. Her organization provides health care organizations

with these proven strategies that help to build a comprehensive, cultural, competent health

equity strategy that meets the needs of diverse communities.

Dr. Maria Hernandez, thank you so much for coming today to the Lindsay Elmore Show.

Thank you so much, Lindsay. It's my pleasure to be with you. So we have talked a lot with our guests about racial disparities in access to health care. And I think throughout the past year since the murder of George Floyd and a ton of

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