Dr. Stella Safo

Is it possible to create a healthcare system where equity is embedded into everything it does? Unequivocally yes, says Dr. Stella Safo. In this keynote, the HIV Primary Care Physician and Founder of Just Equity for Health shares how health inequities impact patient care and an organization’s mission. And why health equity, with its current diversity, equity and inclusion focus, is bound to fail in corporate and healthcare settings if it does not include patients at the design table. Using examples in gender and racial equity, Dr. Safo explores how we can move from theoretical discussions of implementing equitable care to actual, real-world experiences that positively impact patient lives.

Corporations that have cultures of diversity, equity and inclusion are thriving. When everyone is included and all voices are heard, there are higher rates of engagement, productivity and innovation. And yet, many leaders have never gone past the talking stage when it comes to implementing DEI programs at their companies. Using examples of gender and racial equity, Dr. Stella Safo, HIV Primary Care Physician and Founder of Just Equity for Health, explores how we can move from theoretical discussions to implementing antiracism and gender equity-based programs and operations.

Sharing her own story of growing up in West Africa to receiving her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a public health master’s with a focus on global health at the Harvard School of Public Health Harvard college, Dr. Stella Safo discusses how individual stories and lived experiences can galvanize populations to make necessary changes, including using trusted messengers in public health campaigns. She also discusses the case study of advocating for gender equity within New York City, which resulted in changing of local law. This talk can also be tailored toward students to show how the power of their voices can help change the world, too.

Physician and healthcare worker burnout has been a growing problem for the last two decades, from years of disempowerment and making healthcare more businesslike. But since the pandemic, the rate of physical and mental exhaustion has hit crisis levels, with many healthcare workers leaving their jobs and rates of depression and anxiety going through the roof. This not only affects the doctors, nurses and other staff but also is detrimental to patient care, especially for the most vulnerable. So, what’s the solution? In this keynote, Dr. Stella Safo, HIV Primary Care Physician and Founder of Just Equity for Health, discusses how one tool can reduce burnout rates—becoming an advocate for change. By helping change or build systems and improve conditions for staff and patients, burnout will decrease and physicians will be able to concentrate on what matters the most—helping the sick. Dr. Safo will show you how to get started and the most efficient ways to make a difference in the workplace and for your patients.

Before Covid-19, HIV/AIDS was an epidemic most people were not equipped to handle and one that deeply impacted societal views of sexuality and partnership among historically marginalized populations. But through the years of managing it, we’ve learned a lot. In this talk, Dr. Stella Safo shares the lessons HIV/AIDS has taught us—helping hard-to-reach populations, preventing provider burnout and advocating for local and national legislation to protect populations—and will evaluate how we can mold these lessons to navigate the current Covid-19 pandemic. She also discusses how these lessons learned will impact rebuilding healthcare after the pandemic is over.