MLKCH CEO featured in Milken Institute’s “Power of Ideas”

Our nation’s “separate and unequal” system of healthcare – and how we can change it – is the topic of a new essay by Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, published in the Milken Institute’s prestigious online journal “The Power of Ideas.” 

The Power of Ideas series brings together a diverse group of influencers around a central theme, asking global leaders to convey their thoughts on building meaningful lives, driving shared prosperity, and more. Past contributors include Bill and Melinda Gates, the Dalai Lama, Al Gore, and others.

 

Dr. Batchlor

Dr. Batchlor’s essay takes on the built-in inequalities of our nation’s healthcare system, including unequal reimbursement rates to medical providers based on insurance type that result in disparities of care, access and outcomes.

"We need to acknowledge that our current healthcare system is dysfunctional and results in unequal care for those with fewer resources," Batchlor writes. "It’s time for Americans to get behind healthcare reform."

At the very least, Batchlor urges Americans to "embrace fairness" by eliminating funding gaps between Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.  

Read the full “Power of Ideas” essay here.

Dr. Batchlor is a noted state and national expert and advocate on health equity. She has won awards for her efforts to create a high-quality hospital in the majority-Medicaid service area of South Los Angeles. In 2019 she was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.

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