Dr Ashleigh Netter of ADN Strategic Innovations On 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Patient Outcomes for Underrepresented Populations
Increase Representation in Healthcare — Trust between patients and providers is foundational to good healthcare. Patients are more likely to adhere to treatment plans when they feel understood by their providers. Recruiting, training, and supporting healthcare professionals from underrepresented populations can provide insight into diverse perspectives and lived experiences to inform decisions. For example, during my career, I’ve seen how patients who feel valued and understood are more open to sharing their health concerns, leading to better diagnoses and outcomes. Initiatives like mentorship programs for minority healthcare students can also help address this gap.
Healthcare disparities continue to affect underrepresented populations, leading to unequal patient outcomes. Social, economic, and cultural barriers often hinder access to care, appropriate treatments, and equitable health services. How can we bridge these gaps and ensure that all patients, regardless of background, receive the highest standard of care? In this interview series, we are talking to healthcare providers, policy makers, community leaders, researchers, and anyone who is an authority about “How We Can Improve Patient Outcomes for Underrepresented Populations”. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ashleigh Netter.
Dr. Ashleigh Netter is a healthcare leader, health equity advocate, and founder of ADN Strategic Innovations, specializing in addressing healthcare disparities for underrepresented populations through customized, holistic solutions. Combining her expertise in pharmacy operations with a strategic approach to business leadership, profitability, and social impact, she empowers patients and healthcare systems to drive transformation. As a frequent speaker and thought leader, Dr. Netter leverages cultural competence and health literacy to create actionable, sustainable change across the healthcare landscape.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into our interview, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My career path into healthcare and health equity was inspired by my experience growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana. I witnessed firsthand how the lack of access to key social determinants of health can devastate communities- especially following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Essentially, the veil had been ripped off for me. Seeing the shocking disparities and enduring the struggle of accessing resources for essential needs like healthcare alongside my community solidified my determination to become a healthcare professional who provides care and advocates for systemic change. Pharmacy and health equity advocacy became my vehicle to make a difference. This isn’t just a career for me- it’s a calling rooted in ensuring that no one is left behind because of life circumstances, especially regarding health.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the most interesting experiences was during my time working in a community pharmacy. We were offering free vaccinations and health screenings at a community music festival. There was a woman who came up, reluctant and unsure. She couldn’t imagine how having a pharmacist at a music festival could be a gateway to healthcare services. After talking with her, she opened up about her health struggles, which she hadn’t addressed in years because of access issues. That conversation led to her receiving care, but what stood out was the realization that trust opens doors. Sometimes, healthcare isn’t the first step — trust is. This has shaped how I approach my work.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite “Life Lesson Quotes” is: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
This resonates with me in my advocacy and consulting work. Early in my career, I learned the importance of taking care of myself — physically, emotionally, and mentally — to show up fully for the people and communities I serve. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to help everyone else, but without prioritizing my own well-being, I realized I couldn’t give my best to others.
This lesson hit home for me during challenging moments in my life, like rebuilding after personal adversity. By learning to replenish my own energy, I’ve been able to sustain my work, inspire and support my clients, and encourage them to find balance and self-care as they pursue their goals.
How would you define an “excellent healthcare provider”?
An excellent healthcare provider sees the whole person, not just their symptoms. They can lead with emotional intelligence, exercise active listening skills, and are astute in leveraging cultural differences to adapt to each patient’s unique needs, values, and beliefs. An excellent provider can assess the social and economic factors affecting a patient’s health and seamlessly marry it to their medical expertise to build trust with their patients, foster partnership, and empower them to be CEOs of their health outcomes, whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent. Essentially, a provider who can make their patients feel heard, respected, and supported.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better healthcare leader? Can you explain why you like them?
Legacy by Uche’ Blackstone explores the intersection of race, health equity, and social justice. Her experiences as a physician resonated with me because I’ve shared similar experiences as a pharmacist. Dr. Blackstone’s insights pushed me to reflect on the systemic barriers that limit healthcare access for marginalized communities and what’s needed to dismantle these obstacles for real change. Another favorite of mine is The Health Gap by Michael Marmot. It highlights how social determinants of health contribute to disparities. Both books inspire my advocacy for health equity and my desire to lead with purpose toward transformational change in healthcare.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, I’m currently working on an exciting consulting project with a client about creating innovative solutions to bridge gaps in healthcare access for underserved communities. We’re developing strategies that integrate healthcare into nontraditional spaces, like local businesses and community centers, to make healthcare more accessible and culturally relevant. It’s all about creating a healthcare model that is equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the unique needs of each community my client serves.
What are the primary barriers that underrepresented populations face when seeking healthcare?
In my experience, the primary barriers are access, trust, and education. Geographically, many rural and economically disparate communities face healthcare or pharmacy deserts where services are scarce and access to providers is limited. Research shows these communities have an increased likelihood of worsening health outcomes for chronic conditions and maternal health, such as disproportionately high rates of pre/post-partum health complications among African American women.
Historical medical neglect, discrimination, and unethical practices have also fostered deep mistrust, making them less willing to engage with healthcare providers and systems. This lack of trust is detrimental and can be a matter of life and death, often due to delays in seeking care for curable or preventative diseases.
Lastly, I believe health literacy is an often overlooked barrier. Although providing access to care is vitally important, people need to know how this care fits into their lives. Within my circle of family and friends, I’ve seen them be unsure of how to navigate the healthcare system or make informed health decisions for themselves or as caregivers. Studies show that low health literacy is directly linked to poorer health outcomes.
How can healthcare providers build trust with patients from diverse backgrounds, especially in communities that have historically experienced medical neglect or discrimination?
Trust is earned through respect and consistency, not just through treatment. It requires establishing rapport and time. This happens by consistently paying attention and focusing on patients’ concerns, values, beliefs, and goals while reflecting, summarizing, and acknowledging without judgment to gain their confidence while simultaneously establishing credibility. When patients see providers who they feel value, hear, and understand their experience and can communicate in culturally sensitive ways, a dynamic of honesty and open dialogue is co-created, fostering the willingness of patients to participate in their health outcomes in positive ways.
Additionally, I want to uplift the importance of representation in the influential space of healthcare decision-making, particularly regarding health equity. Communities with a history of medical neglect, discrimination, and mistreatment have been the most affected and impacted by a lack of diversity of thought, lived experiences, and racial and cultural backgrounds in the examination room and at the executive table. Explicit and implicit biases have gone unchecked. Implicit bias training is imperative for providers to understand and respect the diverse backgrounds of their patients.
Although training isn’t a complete solution, I recognize systemic changes are essential to building long-term trust. When patients see providers and leaders in healthcare who reflect their communities, they are more likely to engage with the system. Race-concordant care has been shown in studies to improve both patient satisfaction and health outcomes. Healthcare systems must invest in community outreach and collaborative partnerships that bring healthcare into underserved neighborhoods. Establishing a presence in the community and integrating healthcare with other social services can help rebuild trust by making healthcare more accessible and reflective of those communities.
What role does cultural competence play in improving patient outcomes, and how can medical professionals be better trained to meet the needs of underrepresented groups?
Healthcare isn’t one size fits all. Cultural competence within the healthcare framework ensures medical professionals understand how culture, traditions, and social factors influence patients’ health decisions. In practice, this requires sensitivity to these factors without judgment and providing tailored, effective, and relevant care. Developing or strengthening cultural competencies necessitates training and interest. The most impactful training is hands-on and involves real-world learning within the communities they serve. It allows medical professionals to develop empathy and foundational knowledge of their patients’ lived experiences; having this deeper understanding fosters trust and improved patient outcomes.
Can you share any successful strategies or programs that have been implemented to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for underserved communities?
Integrating healthcare services in nontraditional clinical settings like laundromats, hair salons, or barber shops creates an approachable environment where patients feel comfortable without the intimidation of a clinical environment. I’ve utilized this strategy in my practice and have seen its impact on my ability to connect with patients more effectively because I’ve come to them in their community and environment. Essentially, leveling the playing field, I was embedded into their everyday activities where they typically wouldn’t be able to access me. One real-world application we’ve all seen is providing COVID vaccinations at local barbershops and grocers.
The key to success is meeting patients where they live, work, and socialize physically and culturally by providing healthcare in familiar and approachable environments. As we continue to develop programs to reduce health disparities, we must include community leaders, health workers, and local businesses to create sustainable, culturally competent solutions that resonate with the community. Programs like hypertension screenings or diabetes management in barbershops and churches have shown measurable improvements in health outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.
How can technology and telemedicine be leveraged to reach underrepresented populations who may face geographic or financial barriers to traditional healthcare services?
Telemedicine offers a valuable solution to bridging the gap in healthcare access to underserved populations. However, thoughtful and well-researched implementation is necessary to leverage technology to its fullest potential. Reducing barriers to care by providing remote access to healthcare providers, decreasing travel time, and ease of keeping appointments.
It is important to acknowledge the digital divide, where a lack of reliable internet, affordable devices, or digital literacy can hinder the use of telehealth platforms. A thorough assessment of infrastructure needs, such as partnerships with internet service providers or community Wi-Fi initiatives like telemedicine access points in public spaces like libraries, with secure devices and assistance, has proven effective.
Telehealth platforms must be user-friendly and culturally tailored to patients’ socioeconomic diversity. By overcoming these barriers, we can provide more consistent care to those who otherwise might not have access to or desire to engage.
As a “healthcare insider”, if you had the power to make a change, can you share 5 changes that need to be made to improve patient outcomes for underrepresented populations? Please share a story or example for each.
- Increase Representation in Healthcare — Trust between patients and providers is foundational to good healthcare. Patients are more likely to adhere to treatment plans when they feel understood by their providers. Recruiting, training, and supporting healthcare professionals from underrepresented populations can provide insight into diverse perspectives and lived experiences to inform decisions. For example, during my career, I’ve seen how patients who feel valued and understood are more open to sharing their health concerns, leading to better diagnoses and outcomes. Initiatives like mentorship programs for minority healthcare students can also help address this gap.
- Improve Access to Care in Healthcare Deserts — In healthcare deserts, bringing care directly to communities by creating more mobile healthcare units and embedding services in spaces like community centers and hair salons is a game changer for health outcomes and engagement. This approach removes logistical barriers and increases health literacy by meeting patients where they are. In one of my projects, offering healthcare services in nontraditional spaces resulted in higher engagement and improved chronic disease management.
- Prioritize Health Equity in Policy and Funding — Policy changes such as Medicaid expansion and incentivizing providers to practice in underserved areas are essential. Funding should also prioritize research on health disparities and support community health programs. For example, states that have expanded Medicaid have seen improved access to care for low-income populations, leading to better health outcomes. By ensuring equitable distribution of resources, we can close the gap in healthcare access.
- Address the Digital Divide in Telemedicine — The pandemic highlighted telemedicine’s potential but also its limitations for communities without reliable internet access. Investing in digital infrastructure and training to help patients navigate telehealth platforms is needed to address this. In my experience, telemedicine is only effective when patients can access it easily and understand how to use it. Programs like the FCC’s Lifeline Program have already begun addressing these issues, but we need more widespread efforts to close the digital divide.
- Expand Culturally Competent Care Training — Healthcare providers should receive ongoing training that focuses on cultural competence and empathy. Understanding the cultural and socioeconomic factors affecting health can greatly improve how care is delivered and how a patient’s background, beliefs, and values affect their healthcare experiences. By addressing these nuances, providers can offer more respectful and personalized care to address the unique needs of underrepresented populations, improving patient engagement and outcomes.
What specific steps can be taken to ensure that medical research and clinical trials are more inclusive of underrepresented groups, and why is this important for improving overall patient outcomes?
Inclusion in clinical trials is extremely important to improving overall patient outcomes and ensuring that medical advances include the full spectrum of patient demographics. As mentioned, historical mistrust of the healthcare system by underrepresented populations has caused significant gaps in clinical trial participation. The lack of representation often results in gaps in clinical data for various health conditions, deepening the disparities in disease management and treatment for these groups.
Inclusive demographics allow researchers to refine their understanding of treatment efficacy and evaluate how factors like race, gender, genetics, and socioeconomic status impact responses to medications or treatments. This makes the data more credible and reduces blind spots caused by incomplete or skewed data. Without representation, we risk developing treatments that are not effective for these populations, exacerbating health disparities.
Researchers must work with community leaders and trusted organizations within these communities to build trust, facilitate education, and encourage participation. Including researchers who are part of these populations also helps build rapport in addition to providing transparent communication about the purpose of the trials and how the data will be used, and emphasizing informed consent should be of the highest priority to dispel fear and uncertainty.
Finally, providing resources such as care navigators and affinity support groups has been shown to improve participation. Navigators can help guide patients through the process, ensuring they understand the trial and addressing logistical barriers like transportation or language. Successful programs, such as the All of Us Research Program, have demonstrated that patients are more likely to participate in trials when they feel supported and informed.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would inspire a movement focused on empowering communities to build sustainable, health-driven ecosystems. This movement would combine health equity, education, and economic opportunity. Community-based health and wellness initiatives in collaborative partnerships with schools, local businesses, community organizations, healthcare systems, and city and state officials would be at the core of this movement. Through education and empowerment, individuals would be equipped to manage their health and advocate for systemic changes within their communities. The movement would create environments where people can access equitable healthcare, education, and economic opportunity, unlocking human potential on a large scale and creating a world where thriving is not the privilege of a few but the right of all.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work online by visiting my website at ashleighnetter.com, where I share insights on health equity, leadership, and personal transformation. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ashleighnetter for updates on my latest projects, thought leadership pieces, and speaking engagements. I also share regular empowerment messages and practical strategies for overcoming challenges on my social media platforms, which you can find on my website.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was very inspirational and we wish you continued success in your great work.
Dr Ashleigh Netter of ADN Strategic Innovations On 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Patient Outcomes… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.