RELATIONSHIP THURSDAY • Mikel Whittier of Integrated Health Network breaks down Health Equity and how Missourians can get it!

Health equity cannot be accomplished without racial equity. Access to health care is essential health equity solution for Missourians and communities that have suffered from divestment for generations. Through programs like RELINK and campaigns like Healthcare for Missouri, St. Louisans can have better access to health care resources in our community.

Mikel has been with the IHN since October 2016 and currently serves as the Strategist – Justice & Health Equity. Prior to joining IHN, he served in various roles at Mercy Hospital St. Louis including as a Patient Benefit Advisor. In that role, he worked to educate and assist patients with strategies to alleviate financial burdens resulting from emergent and traumatic hospitalizations.

In his strategist role, he aims to provide a collaborative public and community health and wellness model to serve disadvantaged re-entrants discharged from jail to the community ages 17-26. This model is to improve coordination and linkages among criminal justice, public health, social service, and private entities to address health care and health care access of community re-entrants; reduce health disparities experienced by the reentry and justice-involved population; increase access to needed public health, behavioral health, health care coverage, and social services; and ultimately reduce the likelihood of returning to jail.

Additionally, he represents IHN on the Regional Health Commission’s Advisory Board and serves as the co-chair of Barnes Jewish Hospital’s Community and Faith Advisory Council.  In these roles, he aids the advancement of health equity solutions that are important in addressing health disparities in the St. Louis region. He received his Masters in healthcare administration from the University of Missouri and is currently a doctoral candidate in business administration at Liberty University.