Stars in our Constellation: Rosa Colon-Kolacko, PhD
Rosa joins Luminous as an Advisor in DEIB and Health Equity.
Dr. Colon-Kolacko, former Senior VP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Tufts Medicine, has dedicated her career to advancing diversity, health equity, and inclusion. As an entrepreneur, she founded Global Equity and Learning Partners, LLC in 2015, focusing on designing and implementing inclusion, racial and health equity, human capital, talent development, and change management strategies to build equitable organizations. With over 25 years of experience in various sectors including Global Pharmaceuticals, Bioscience, Health Systems, Academia, Government, and Non-Profit, she has led change and cultural transformation initiatives worldwide.
Dr. Colon-Kolacko holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Change from Benedictine University, an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading England, and certifications in Marketing, Diversity Management and Human Resources and is an Equity Fellow of the Delaware Community Foundation. She is actively involved in numerous national and state-level boards and commissions advocating for health equity and diversity, and is the President of the Board of the MA Health Equity Compact, Inc. Currently she is a researcher and Adjunct Professor at Thomas Jefferson University and is formalizing her appointment at Tufts School of Medicine and the Center for Translational Research Institute.
Q&A With Rosa Colon-Kolacko
Q. What trends are you seeing in health equity and DEIB?
A. I see several trends emerging. In my home state of Massachusetts, the 1115 waiver program is a five-year initiative that is pioneering efforts to incentivize health systems to become culturally competent, positioning the state as a leader in this space. The Joint Commission health equity standards have accelerated health delivery systems to provide cultural competency education and change processes to improve equity. While I was the CDEIO at Tufts Medicine, we were recognized as a best practice by the Commission and the state of MA was recognized as the first state where all health systems met these standards. Data collection is also important, with a focus on understanding patient demographics and needs to identify gaps in care, particularly in cardiovascular, metabolic, and cancer-related conditions. Access to affordable medications and preventive care is a priority, ensuring that all individuals have equitable access to essential healthcare services. Health equity zones are gaining traction as targeted initiatives to address disparities within communities, offering tailored interventions to meet specific needs rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Another trend is collaboration and co-leadership with community members to elevate diverse voices and ensure that interventions are community driven. Recognizing the expertise of individuals with lived experiences and the integration of community health workers or navigators are vital components of comprehensive health equity strategies.
Recent discussions at the Patient Advocacy Summit hosted by MassBio prompted the Life Sciences Center to host the first cross industry forum “Moving the Needle Toward Equity Clinical Trials” to identify policy, and build a coalition to redesign clinical trials, highlight the ongoing evolution of efforts to promote health equity and address systemic disparities within the healthcare ecosystem.
“We believe that equity is possible by constantly learning from others with humility.”
Q. What is your perspective on the role of the pharma / biotech industry when it comes to health equity?
A. From my perspective, the life sciences and biotech industry plays a pivotal role in promoting health equity. There are significant health disparities that need addressing, such as the 23-year difference in life expectancy between the residents of Back Bay and Roxbury in Boston. Initiatives like the Health Equity Compact, comprising 80 C-suite members from diverse backgrounds, illustrate steps toward inclusivity and equity.
Quality of life (QOL) remains a focal point, particularly regarding pain management and therapy accessibility. The overarching goal is to enhance QOL and life expectancy for all demographics. However, systemic changes are needed as well, including policy reforms within life sciences to ensure diverse representation to represent the communities we serve to build trust, especially in clinical trials. Challenges persist, such as requiring health care coverage for clinical trial participation, reflecting broader disparities in healthcare access. Addressing equity involves ensuring healthcare access regardless of immigration status and finding innovative funding solutions, like funding payment for trial participation.
Additionally, there's a distinction between equity and fairness that requires nuanced consideration. Overall, the healthcare ecosystem and key partners must continue evolving policies and practices to foster genuine health equity for all populations.
Q. What are the big challenges and opportunities you’re seeing related to patients, life sciences and impact?
A. There’s fear and distrust among patients regarding research initiatives due to history of harm and trauma, which gets in the way of engagement. This underscores the need to foster trust and transparency beyond conventional measures. Health literacy presents another hurdle, as even native English speakers encounter confusion when engaging with the life sciences and medical space, highlighting the need for simplifying complex information to a sixth grade reading level. Being aware of and addressing power structures is essential, with the inherent intimidation of credentials like PhDs necessitating an effort to acknowledge and share power and decision making in interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. Initiatives like creating classes with visual aids rather than text-heavy content underscore the importance of adapting communication to diverse audiences. Genentech's innovative approach of utilizing accessible, non-threatening videos to explain research exemplifies efforts to bridge this gap, emphasizing inclusivity.
I believe ensuring cultural competence among healthcare providers is crucial, such as mandatory classes in states like New Jersey and California, where doctors must demonstrate proficiency in addressing patients' diverse needs, including language barriers. These challenges underscore the ongoing imperative to foster inclusivity, accessibility, and understanding in healthcare and life sciences to truly make a meaningful impact on patient care and outcomes.
Q. What is a quote or mantra that guides your work?
A. We believe that equity is possible by constantly learning from others with humility.
Rosa was recently profiled in an article on Hispanic Executive where you can learn more about her personal and professional journey. If you wish to learn more about Rosa and her work, visit her Linkedin or reach out at rosack@globalequitylearning.com.
