Health leaders and experts convened for the inaugural TIME100 Health Leadership Forum in New York City on October 22, focusing on critical issues facing the healthcare sector. The event featured four panel discussions, each tackling vital topics such as equitable access to healthcare, women’s health, the impact of emerging technologies, and necessary health policy changes.
The evening commenced with a stirring performance of an original poem by Mahogany Browne, a writer, playwright, and educator, setting an impactful tone for the discussions that followed. The first panel featured prominent figures including Dr. Uché Blackstock, author and founder of Advancing Health Equity; Adrelia Allen, executive director of clinical trial patient diversity at Merck; and Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. The panelists emphasized the urgent need for healthcare frameworks that prioritize vulnerable populations.
“There are basic policies in the country that we need to establish to ensure we can care for ourselves and our loved ones,” Poo stated. “If we can achieve this, it will transform overall health outcomes.”
The second panel, moderated by TIME correspondent Eliana Dockterman, delved into global health inequities affecting women. It featured Dr. Natalia Kanem, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund; Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to health; and Dr. Asif Dhar, vice chair and U.S. Life Sciences and Health Care Industry Leader for Deloitte Global Consulting Services. The panelists discussed the widespread issues women face in healthcare, noting that many have experienced feelings of being dismissed or ignored by medical providers, which undermines trust in the healthcare system.
Dr. Mofokeng shared insights from a brief she submitted to a U.S. court in advance of the Supreme Court’s consideration of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. She argued that restricting abortion rights contradicts international human rights treaties and emphasized that the decision regarding abortion should lie solely between the medical provider and the patient. She warned that imposing such restrictions sets a “dangerous” precedent.
Throughout the forum, experts called for an urgent reassessment of healthcare policies to ensure that all individuals, particularly women and marginalized communities, receive equitable care. The discussions underscored the necessity of creating a more inclusive and trusting healthcare environment that prioritizes the needs of all patients.
The TIME100 Health Leadership Forum served as a vital platform for healthcare leaders to share ideas and propose solutions to the pressing challenges facing the industry today. The insights gathered from the event are expected to inform future initiatives aimed at advancing health equity and improving access to care across diverse populations.
