A call to action from the Purdue University Center for Health Equity and Innovation

Abstract

The Purdue University College of Pharmacy established the Center for Health Equity and Innovation (CHEqI) to provide students, faculty, and internal and external partners with a coordinating center whose primary purpose is to address inequities in the social determinants of health. Through this article the development of the center, the interdisciplinary activities the center is currently engaged in, ongoing educational efforts to provide instruction related to equity, and research endeavors designed to better understand the impact of our efforts are described. Pharmacists and colleges/ schools of pharmacy must optimize health equity efforts with interdisciplinary partners by: (1) providing student opportunities to learn about diverse populations through engagement and integration with communities, (2) encouraging students to identify and lead health equity initiatives, (3) incorporating health equity engagement and track impact of efforts designed to address inequity into annual review and promotion processes, (4) creating and participating in health equity training opportunities, and (5) developing a formal structure for collaborative networks to align health equity efforts. These five strategies and examples are not intended to be prescriptive, but rather, an opportunity to synergize and cultivate further discussion of work in health equity across colleges/schools of pharmacy.

Implementation of a Global Health Equity fellowship established in partnership between an academic institution and governmental agency

“…A memorandum of understanding (MOU) and statements of work were developed to locally and globally" through its vision of "reducing health inequities through innovative strategies." 13,28 The CHEqI partnership facilitated opportunities for fellows to participate in vaccine distribution, chronic disease screening and management, and harm reduction.…”

“…An example of this is the partnership with the Center for Health Equity and Innovation (CHEqI) at Purdue University, which was established in January 2020. The mission of CHEqI is “to address the needs of populations who are underserved and/or historically marginalized, locally and globally” through its vision of “reducing health inequities through innovative strategies.” 13,28 The CHEqI partnership facilitated opportunities for fellows to participate in vaccine distribution, chronic disease screening and management, and harm reduction.…”

“…[5][6][7][8] A growing body of literature highlights the role pharmacists play in addressing SDOHs within local, regional, national, and international settings. [9][10][11][12][13] Purdue University College of Pharmacy (PUCOP) and the Purdue Kenya Partnership (PKP) have almost two decades of experience providing student learners with opportunities to address health disparities and SDOH in the LMIC setting of Eldoret, Kenya. 14,15 The PKP represents a partnership between PUCOP faculty and Kenyan health care providers, faculty, and administrative staff working collaboratively to pursue health equity locally through various initiatives.…”

“…Pharmacists are well recognized as being positioned within communities and health systems to address health inequities and SDOH 5‐8 . A growing body of literature highlights the role pharmacists play in addressing SDOHs within local, regional, national, and international settings 9‐13 …”

Pharmacist-Led Implementation of Brief Tobacco Cessation Interventions during Mobile Health Access Events

“…Specifically, we assessed the potential demand for and interest in tobacco cessation services among participants as an indicator of feasibility [22]. These events were hosted as outreach efforts in Central Indiana in conjunction with pharmacists and pharmacy students through the Purdue University College of Pharmacy's Center for Health Equity and Innovation (CHEqI) [23]. Findings from this project can be informative in guiding ongoing and future efforts related to pharmacists' role in expanding access to preventive care and tobacco cessation services to under-resourced communities.…”