As April’s National Minority Health Month begins, Johnson & Johnson is picking up the pace in its “race to health equity.”
The company announced Wednesday that it now counts among its collaborators more than 100 community-led health organizations dedicated to eliminating the disparities in healthcare that persist for many BIPOC people in the U.S., both in terms of the quality of care they receive and their access to job opportunities in the industry. J&J’s support for these organizations includes funding from its $100 million pool set aside specifically for promoting health equity.
J&J singled out a handful of those partners, including It Takes Philly, which offers concierge-style care to low-income communities in Philadelphia, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative, which provides diabetes prevention and management classes. The full list, totaling 102 organizations, spans additional hyperlocal and nationwide health efforts, medical professional organizations, universities, historically Black fraternities and sororities, food banks and more.
“We recognize that to effectively address healthcare disparities, changes must occur at all levels in our society. Supporting the work of grassroots organizations, community health centers and national associations is integral to identifying and implementing enduring healthcare solutions,” Vanessa Broadhurst, J&J’s executive VP of global corporate affairs, said in the announcement.
In addition to backing dozens of existing organizations, J&J has extended its own initiatives aimed at improving healthcare for marginalized communities.
Also on Wednesday, the company unveiled the winners of this year’s Health Equity Innovation Challenge, which provides grassroots organizations with seed funding, mentorship and access to J&J’s JLABS network of support for life science startups. Selected from more than 140 applicants, the five winners are working toward improving HIV/STI prevention in Atlanta; reducing food insecurity for Black and Latino households in Chicago; embedding preventive care services within barbershops and salons in Los Angeles; creating a nursing pathway program for high schoolers of color in New York City; and providing mentorship to students at under-resourced schools in Philadelphia via marathon training.
Rounding out the flurry of health equity-focused updates, J&J previewed the kickoff of its second annual My Health Can’t Wait initiative, which works alongside the African American Male Wellness Agency and other partners to provide communities of color with health screenings and educational information. Starting in the coming weeks and stretching over the course of six months, the initiative will travel to 25 cities across the U.S., sponsoring health fairs, 5Ks and other community-gathering events at each stop.
