West Side United: Hospitals Tackle the Racial Health and Wealth Gap
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. David Ansell, Darlene Hightower, and Ayesho Jaco, leaders of West Side United (WSU), a coalition of Chicago hospitals, community residents, banks, and small businesses conceived in 2016, reviewed progress toward WSU’s goal of ending systemic racism, particularly racial disparities in health, longevity, and economic prosperity. WSU was also the focal point for Chicago’s Racial Equity Rapid Response team in the coronavirus crisis. The key leaders pondered next steps including renewing commitments from hospital partners and making it a stand-alone non-profit organization.
Keywords: COVID; COVID-19; hospital; coalition; Health Pandemics; Race; Health; Wealth and Poverty; Equality and Inequality; Change; Leadership; Chicago;
Citation:
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss, and Paul Stramaglia. "West Side United: Hospitals Tackle the Racial Health and Wealth Gap." Harvard Business School Case 321-026, August 2020. View Details