
AEQUITAS HEALTH
2nd ANNUAL AEQUITAS HEALTH CONFERENCE
Welcome to the 2024-25 Aequitas Health Conference!
Like last year, we're keeping things flexible with an online format that lets you participate whenever works best for you. This year, we're focusing on ways physicians can promote health equity beyond direct patient care. Our speakers will share their paths and approaches to affect systems change from beyond the bedside.
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We're also excited to feature presentations from three Aequitas Health Fellows who are leading impactful projects to address healthcare disparities. Their work shows how medical professionals can create change through policy research, patient storytelling, program implementation, and social needs navigation.
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Each presentation offers practical examples of how healthcare providers can expand their impact beyond clinic walls to create lasting positive change.
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Thank you for joining us. Together, we can build pathways to more equitable healthcare for all communities!

Benson S. Hsu, MD (he/him)
President and Chair | Aequitas Health
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Diverse Pathways Towards Health Equity
Elizabeth Mack, MD
A pediatric critical care physician and an advocate for children’s health, Elizabeth’s passion is in caring for children whose families’ lives are altered by an unexpected tragic event. As an American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson, she promotes child health at the bedside and in print, television, radio and social media and has been recognized nationally for her advocacy. Recipient of the Resident of the Year teaching award and Fellow Teacher of the Year award, Elizabeth continues to serve as a dedicated educator, previously as the division director of pediatric critical care, university faculty ombuds, and medical director for graduate medical education quality and safety at the Medical University of South Carolina. Currently, she serves as a Vice President of Vizient, working in patient safety and high reliability healthcare. Outside of her work, she enjoys global health and has done volunteer work in Namibia, Peru, Honduras, Vietnam, and Haiti. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of South Carolina Honors College, an M.S. in Biostatistics/Epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati and an M.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She is a Fellow of the 2019 Class of Liberty Fellowship at the Aspen Institute and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Future Leadership
SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS
SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS, is a practicing general surgeon and the deputy chief medical officer for quality and safety of a network of VA medical centers and facilities. SreyRam previously served as special advisor to the Secretary of the VA and was the first woman appointed deputy under secretary for community care, overseeing a $14.5 billion budget and 7,300 staff. Before that, SreyRam served as chief medical officer for Louisiana Medicaid, a $10.7 billion system covering 1.6 million children, pregnant women, and disabled and indigent patients. In this role, she instituted quality performance metrics and payment reforms and led initiatives tackling the opioid crisis, resulting in a 40% reduction in new opioid prescriptions. SreyRam is the recipient of the American College of Surgeons Inspiring Woman in Surgery Award, President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Lights Award, Oregon Health Sciences University Early Career Achievement Award, L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth, and Business Report’s 40 Under 40 and was named by Modern Healthcare as one of ten Minority Healthcare Executives to Watch. She was a Presidential Leadership Scholar through a bipartisan leadership program taught by Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, a Kaiser Family Foundation Health Policy Scholar in the US Senate, an Eisenhower Fellow, and an American College of Surgeons Health Policy Scholar. SreyRam received her MD from Oregon Health Sciences University and her master’s degree from Yale. She is the author of 50 Studies Every Surgeon Should Know and is published widely on health policy, quality, and safety and has written for the Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Huffington Post. SreyRam is a Fellow of the fifth class of the Health Innovators Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Impact Outside of Medicine
Greg Yap, MBA
Greg Yap, MBA, is a partner at Menlo Ventures, where he invests in teams trying to solve major problems in life science and healthcare, with a special interest in novel therapeutic platforms, patient-focused digital health, and transformative technologies. Previously, Greg was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Illumina Ventures, where he focused on new investments related to genomics. Prior to entering venture capital, Greg had 20 years of experience in senior executive and entrepreneurial roles in life science and digital health. He was CEO and co-founder of two startups: Biodesy, a next generation protein analysis company, and PyrAmes, a digital health remote monitoring company. At Roche Diagnostics/Ventana, Greg led a global market-leading cancer diagnostic assay business, serving 20 million patients and delivering $500 million revenue per year. Greg’s operating experience also includes roles as the first healthcare entrepreneur-in-residence at GE; chief operating officer at Cellpoint Diagnostics, an early liquid biopsy startup; vice president and general manager for genetics and molecular diagnostics at Affymetrix, the microarray genomics pioneer; and consultant for McKinsey & Company. He also serves on the board of Outward Bound California. Greg received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology (summa cum laude) from Princeton University and his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Greg’s current investments include Clear Labs, Encoded Therapeutics, Epiodyne, Pliant Therapeutics, Sana Health, and Senti Bio. He is a San Francisco Bay Area native and lives in Palo Alto, CA, with his wife and children. Greg is a Fellow of the fifth class of the Health Innovators Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
During this conference, we are excited to showcase and recognize one of the great works of our Fellows.
FutureCare Directions:
Empowering Patient Choices at Anderson Free Clinic
Megan McDonald
I am a fourth-year medical student with a deep passion for advancing health equity and serving underserved populations. Growing up as a missionary kid in Brazil, I developed a heart for service and a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by underserved communities. Now, as a medical student in the U.S., I strive to combine that foundation with my clinical training to provide compassionate, holistic care to those who might otherwise go without. My journey in medicine has been shaped by experiences mentoring premedical and medical students, leading community initiatives, and participating in mission work, including a global health elective in Honduras. I have also led quality improvement projects, such as implementing advanced care planning at a free clinic, to empower patients and ensure their voices are heard in their healthcare decisions. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to serving not only as a physician but also as an advocate for systemic change. In my personal life, I value fostering community and building meaningful relationships. My spouse and I share a commitment to living a life of service, and together we seek opportunities to make a positive impact locally and globally. I look forward to a career in family medicine, where I can continue to integrate my passion for patient-centered care with a focus on addressing healthcare disparities.
My Life, My Story
Avery Ofoje
I am Nigerian-American, originally from Aiken, SC. I grew up a soccer coach's daughter and played competitively through to the end of high school. I grew up with my younger sister, and my youngest uncle, Nwendu, who is the only one of my dad's siblings to immigrate to the U.S. His three incredible kids are now the light of our family. I attended Boston University for undergrad, where I learned what a curiosity- and justice-driven life could look like. I worked as a medical assistant in a pediatric clinic before starting medical school in Charleston, SC. I now live in North Charleston with my fiancé, Jasper, and our 2-year-old pit-something mix, Buck. Away from school, I enjoy spending time with them on the beach and seeing comedy shows in the area. Professionally, I explore the ways in which I can correct inequity and bias in the healthcare system, particularly at the patient level. I am applying into med-peds and family medicine for residency and am so thankful for the opportunity to bring excellent care to folks who need it, all while celebrating and learning from their stories and perspectives.
SD Medicaid Expansion: One Year Later
University of South Dakota SSOM
We are from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Our chapter is made up of 7 fourth year medical students, graduating in 2025. During the clinical part of medical school our students are split up into 3 campuses across the state in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Yankton. These campuses have unique population catchments due to the rurality of the nearby areas and states. Therefore we as a group are uniquely informed on health inequity issues across various communities as well as statewide. Unique minority populations including Native Americans, Hutterite, and ranchers/farmers add to the complexities of providing comprehensive, patient-centered care. The Aequitas Honor Society started at our school a few years ago, however, there has not been much cohesiveness among classes to collaborate on projects. Our class is focused on initiating sustainable projects to combat health inequities that can be handed off to subsequent classes. By shifting the goal to ongoing projects the student body is passionate about, we hope to create lasting change in our communities across the state.