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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Driving Health Equity Through Strategy and Storytelling with Dr. Aletha Maybank
00:09:22
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- [00:00]
A
Hello and welcome to the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. My name is Chanel Bunger. Today I'm thrilled to speak with Dr. Aletha Maybank, a health strategist and president and CEO at Novella Wells LLC, who joins the podcast today to share insights in her background healthcare trend. She's keeping in a bit more. Dr. Maybank, thank you so much for joining me. Could you get us started out by introducing yourself and telling us a bit about your background in healthcare?
- [00:23]
B
Yes. Hi. My background, Aletha Maybank, I'm a pediatrician, preventive medicine doc by training, but I've spent most of my career in governmental public health and I've been in places in health departments, even more specifically leading local public health efforts both in New York City and in Long island as well in New York. And then kind of tangent to that and affiliated with the role is also supporting the institution in starting their equity efforts to embed equity across the entirety of the institution and start building in that lens and mindset. And, and then I was recruited to AMA about six years ago and was their senior vice president and inaugural chief Health Equity Officer there to help support starting a center for health equity, but also working across their different constituencies and areas within the institution to also embed equity and support that evolution, not only at ama, but I think the totality of medicine as well. And now I'm kind of in the space of I serve as a health strategist and health advisor to several companies and institutions, as well as to individuals. I've been doing more at the intersection of arts and health and figuring out what I'm going to do moving forward.
- [01:43]
A
Got it, got it. And I'm moving forward into the meat of the podcast a bit. Can you talk about the top trends that you're keeping an eye on in health care today?
- [01:51]
B
Yes, for me, I think, you know, it's, it's a lot because there's a lot, as we know on the horizon right now that is at risk or already has been eliminated, whether it's funding, people, positions, certain types of values and mission in the way that we do this work. And I think the greatest concern is watching so many people start to lose context to access to different health opportunities. We see it in the context of lack of communication and decreased communication across the board when you don't have CDC present in the way that they used to to help support messaging and getting the information out and working with local partners in the way that's needed. But we also see reduction of research dollars that is happening across the board with many institutions, we see the reduction of equity, explicit positions and work that has been happening. So the overall trend is you start to get concerned about and not even start. We are concerned that this vision to be able to have optimal health for all is severely impacted in a negative way. We have to keep focusing on our advocacy, our collective advocacy, and our individual advocacy towards what we know is right and what we deserve as humans. That's health and good health.
- [03:21]
A
Absolutely. And now that we've talked about the trends a bit going forward in the second half of 2025, what are you most focused on and excited about?
- [03:32]
B
I'm most focused on. Well, now that I've resigned, I'm most focused on figuring out what is the next path that I want to take individually, who do I want to work with, where do I want to be and leverage the talents and the relationships that I have. But especially at this moment of time, that brings some level of excitement for me to have that space and opportunity. However, it's all in the context of what's really scary at this moment for many people across this country. And I even think from just the personal context, many of us, our parents and our families are being directly impacted. And when that happens and those conversations are happening around our tables and in our homes, it really kind of speaks to the level of urgency that is really needed at this moment to have change that is going to be productive for all. And it's very clear that that's not what's happening. And so it's hitting our homes hard emotionally, financially. And so excitement is there, I believe, in the context of having joy and being able to experience that. It's part of survival. But it's also important to contextualize any of that in the realities of where we're at in this country.
- [04:50]
A
Yeah, absolutely. And now that we spoke about the future of it, looking back in the last six to 18 months, can you talk about something that you're most proud of, maybe that you did at your prior role or maybe starting up your new llc?
- [05:05]
B
Sure. I mean, my, my. So I did launch a film company with several other folks called Truth Light. We're in the very beginning parts of this, and it's an uphill, a learning curve that's straight up for me, I guess, because I have not been trained as a filmmaker. But I, you know, I know that there's the possibility to still have my voice. And my president, I'm working with other people who are filmmakers. And the idea is, you know, how do we expand this narrative around health that has been A thread of my career, I feel how health is demonstrated in communication vehicles across this country, it's very narrow. And if you think about it, most shows on tv, when you think about health explicitly, they're all happening in the emergency room. Like, all of them, you don't see the other aspects in the totality of all the different ways that how health shapes and informs who we are or what shapes health and how that informs who we are and how we show up. So that's what the company is to do. And so I'm very excited and very proud to have started that and kind of branched out into a space that isn't fully familiar, but in terms of, you know, the process of how to do it and how to make that sauce per se, however, fully familiar in terms of the importance of messaging and how do we get people to change? You know, how do we inspire action beyond what people normally do? And that's what all of us are working to do as health professionals, is to inspire action, to have healthier lives. But that's not always an easy thing to do, and I think it takes creativity and skill to do that.
- [06:40]
A
Got it. That is definitely something to be proud of. And now, with all of your passion and the pivots you've been able to make in your career, I'm wondering, what advice would you give to evolving leaders maybe looking to have the same impact in their careers as you have?
- [06:53]
B
My advice? You know, I've been reflecting a lot on this, and it comes back to almost my very first week of working as a professional, past my two years of clinical years, when I was a practice as a pediatrician and I started in the office of minority health out in Suffolk County, Long Island. And I was creating that office, and I was actually cashing a check, my first paycheck. This is a long time ago. We don't do that anymore, do we? Don't go to the bank to do it. Typically, I was at the teller counter, and the individual behind was trying to have a conversation. You could clearly see I was in a rush. And. And he said to me, because right away he said, you know, as I was getting ready to leave, he said, doctor, I want you to remember it's always all about relationships, and I'll never forget that. And I think that has been the absolute, I want to say, power that I have had in my career, and that is what has created the power, in a sense, that I've had. I think the trust and the credibility that I've had throughout my career is really understanding the foundation of having relationships and building them and having centered those and not be transactional, I think has been the momentum for what I have been able to create and it will be the momentum for what I do moving forward.
- [08:19]
A
Excellent advice. Well, Dr. Maybank, I've enjoyed our time today, but before I let you go, is there anything else that listeners should know? No.
- [08:27]
B
I think this moment in time I would encourage us to reach out to one another. I think right now we all are feeling moments of isolation, especially in these roles that we have within health. Again, it's a scary time. This is where we do need to rely and call upon each other more than ever and understand that the ecosystem in its wholeness is what's going to be most helpful than in our silos and isolated. I just encourage us to engage with one another one just for support, emotional support, but also for strategic thinking and strategic planning on what is possible so that we can build power to create change.
- [09:10]
A
The great note to end on Dr. Maybank, I want to thank you once again for your time today and for sharing your insights on the Becker's Healthcare podcast.
- [09:16]
B
Thank you, thank you.