At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, our goal is to expand access to health care and elevate the experience and outcomes for every patient, employee, learner and member of our community.
To help us accomplish this, we have established a formal Health Equity program to engage every person in our organization to rethink and continually improve how we teach medicine, recruit and retain employees, provide ongoing training, structure research programs and deliver care. We do this to build trust and empower our own team, patients and community.
Our Core Pillars
Through our actions and partnerships, we will co-create an inclusive and equitable environment for those who work here, learn here, engage with us for care and live in the communities we serve.
Include: Foster a culture of inclusiveness, belonging, and empathy among the people who work here, learn here, and engage with us for care.
Care: Deliver inclusive, respectful health care services of the highest quality possible so every patient has the same potential for a longer, fulfilling life.
Co-create: Co-create solutions with people and organizations in the communities we serve to advance health equity.
Innovate: Create, evaluate and share solutions to transform the quality and inclusiveness of health care services and change the conditions that create inequities.
Champion: Champion improvements in the conditions that create systemic disadvantage and inequitable health outcomes through advocacy, programs and policy initiatives.
Explore current Health Equity initiatives
Determined to improve care and advance knowledge in medicine, thousands of Health Equity champions in many different roles across the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center have joined different volunteer groups to help us eradicate racism; advance our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and connect with marginalized members of the community.
Our Team
Leading health equity, inclusive excellence and community engagement efforts
Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH
Chief Health Equity Officer
Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH, is an internationally recognized leader in clinical prevention, health policy, community engagement and health equity with sustained ongoing program of NIH/NCI-funded research. He joined the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center as chief health equity officer July 1, 2022. He brings together efforts for advancing health equity and oversees policies and programs on diversity, belonging, accessibility, bias and discrimination. Under his leadership, we will develop new and enhance existing clinical programs and care delivery mechanisms, as well as community engagement programs, to equitably improve our healthcare quality and health outcomes in the communities we serve. He is a tenured professor of family medicine and holds the endowed Klotz Chair in Cancer Research.
Liza S. Paul, MSSA, LISW-S, ACM
Senior Director and Administrative Office for the Office of Health Equity
With a mission-driven focus and a penchant for helping others, Liza has over 20 years’ experience in hospice and healthcare leadership. Mrs. Paul’s passion for hospice care began while growing up in Puerto Rico and going on home visits with her father, who owned a hospice care center for over 25 years. Mrs. Paul knew her calling was to help others during end-of-life care.
Ben Anthony
Director of Community Engagement
A graduate of the Ohio State University in 2011, Ben has worked across Ohio in community organizing, trust-building, Asset-Based Community Development and equity since. He is a passionate advocate for Ohioans and their communities’ who have been unfairly forgotten or harmed by systems. Ben strives to help a communities build solutions that are of, by and for the people he and his teams stand beside. Before joining the OSUWMC, Ben was the Manager for Community Engagement at the Ohio History Connection.
Javonte McDonald
Director of The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Healthy Community Center
Bridging community advocacy and strategic leadership, Javonte McDonald is deeply committed to cultivating equitable services. His journey underscores the importance of embracing diverse perspectives in effective community engagement. In his role as the Director of the Healthy Community Center, Javonte channels his passion towards envisioning a future where food equity is a cornerstone of community health. His strategic leadership transcends traditional boundaries, reflecting an unwavering belief in the transformative power of community collaboration.
Dwayne Steward, MPA
Director of Inclusive Excellence, Belonging and Accessibility
Dwayne Steward, MPA, is an award-winning writer, speaker, and activist who has influenced macro level change in access to healthcare and social services for marginalized communities, leading to community-wide decreases in health disparities. He has held leadership roles such as Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Programs Director at Cleveland Clinic, Chief People, Culture and Programs Officer at Equitas Health, and Director of Community Affairs at Fenway Health. He is currently the Director of Inclusive Excellence, Belonging & Accessibility at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.