Our Work

HEALTH IS MORE THAN HEALTHCARE

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

was the first Black woman to earn a medical degree and practice medicine as a physician in the USA.  In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses, a treatise on treating illnesses in infants and young children and women of childbearing age.

Feb 8, 1831 - March 9, 1895

“I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.”

“The most fatal threat to freed people’s health was the lack of shelter, clothing, and nutrition.”

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BWPA’s Foundational Purpose is Health

What Exactly is Health Equity?  

On June 11, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) defined Health Equity as “the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.”

The CDC elaborated that “achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally and examining and addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH) that are interrelated and influence a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes.”

Not widely known or publicized information: 

Medical care is estimated to account for only 10-20 percent of the modifiable contributors to healthy outcomes. 

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The remaining 80 to 90 percent is determined by factors known as SDoH.  SDoH are socioeconomic and environmental factors, such as: income, education, employment, access and quality of medical care, health insurance, neighborhood conditions, access to healthy foods, clean water & air.

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SAY NO TO ZIPCODE HEALTH

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SAY NO TO ZIPCODE HEALTH ✻

Reimagine

re·​imag·​ineˌ rē-i-ˈma-jən:

reinterpret imaginatively; rethink 

Black women physicians are more than healthcare providers or clinicians —they are trusted leaders, change agents, and bridge-builders in the fight for health equity.

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Reimagining Research

By reimagining research, BWPA brings greater involvement by affected individuals and impacted communities to research studies, analysis and publication. Traditional health research often excluded the experiences of underinsured individuals and the expertise of diverse physicians.

Reimagined research means:

  • Asking better questions—centered on real needs, not just academic interests.

  • Including diverse voices—ensuring studies reflect those most impacted by health disparities.

  • Sharing findings openly and accessibly—turning knowledge into community power.

IMPACT: Interventions are more relevant, culturally appropriate, and effective.

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Reimagining Advocacy

By reimagining advocacy, BWPA joins their clinical expertise with the power of lived experience and collective action of underserved communities. Historically, health advocacy followed “top-down messaging” often curtailing the voice of affected individuals and impacted communities.

Reimagining advocacy means:

  • Shifting from speaking for communities to amplifying their voices.

  • Focusing on structural change, not just individual behavior.

  • Building alliances across and within sectors—health, housing, education, justice.

IMPACT: Policies and systems shaped by those they affect, leading to more sustainable solutions.

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Reimagining Succession

By reimagining succession, BWPA will bolster diverse healthcare clinicians' professional journey. For too long, succession in healthcare presented the same "prototype" that preserved the status quo. Despite significant healthcare spending, US health outcomes are amongst the lowest of developed countries. 

Reimagined succession involves:

  • Investing in diverse leadership pipelines.

  • Supporting the entrepreneurial activities of diverse clinicians.

  • Sharing wisdom, knowledge, and access.

IMPACT: Health systems & innovations that close gaps—not widen them.