Alumni passion at Equitas Health drives innovative care models for underrepresented populations
Teagan Vaughn, PharmD ’19, RPh, AAHIVP, played a pivotal role in forging new partnerships for The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy by serving as the first pharmacy resident at Equitas Health.
Equitas Health is a nonprofit community health care system that focuses on underserved populations, including those at risk of or diagnosed with HIV, members of the LGBTQ+ community and those with limited access to health care.
“It was an absolute blast to join Equitas Health as the first resident,” Dr. Vaughn recalled. “In that year, I learned about providing care through a culturally humble and healthful lens and how to meet people where they are.”
Today, she’s the organization’s Director of Gender-Affirming Care, a standout area of Equitas Health’s offered services. Since taking the leap of faith to pursue residency, Dr. Vaughn has adopted the attitude that if there’s any place to find success trying something new, it’s Equitas Health.
Dr. Vaughn still functions in Equitas Health’s clinics to see patients and manage care through a collaborative practice agreement, but she also lends support to services that affect her patients outside of the world of medicine. Oftentimes, she can be found supporting community education programs and assisting with events at Mozaic, the Columbus community center providing professional and personal support to transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary folks.
This holistic engagement from Dr. Vaughn is a trademark of Equitas Health’s employees and services. Since its start in 1984, the organization has defined itself as a “gateway to good health,” offering services that support all aspects of their patients’ wellness.
“Equitas Health is focused on underserved populations, so the existing health care models that a lot of folks might be familiar with don’t always meet the needs or abilities of our patients,” said Chief Pharmacy Officer Nick Saltsman, PharmD ’07, RPh, AAHIVP. “Everybody at Equitas Health is all in on our mission, so we have a lot of staff who get to try new things and innovative programs to solve the obstacles unique to our patients.”
Dr. Saltsman joined Equitas Health in 2018 after 19 years of working in the retail pharmacy space. On his way to the role of Chief Pharmacy Officer, his career change was reaffirmed by the excitement of his colleagues to think outside of the box with patient care.
“In nearly every population health-based survey, there are negative effects on wellness outside of the populations’ health care,” Dr. Vaughn said. “One of the things that I love about Equitas Health is that we try to answer the question of, ‘How we can we introduce new projects and resources for our patients?’”
One major leap in improving patients’ access to care was the organization’s recent expansion of pharmacists' capabilities at Equitas Health locations. Associate Director of Clinical Pharmacy Jacquelyn Risner-Kissel PharmD ’13, RPh, AAHIVP, spearheaded this effort in response to the difficulty of patients finding time and transportation to return to their physician for adjustments that a pharmacist would be suited to complete.
“Pharmacists are the most accessible health care expert in patients' lives, so Dr. Risner-Kissel's work has been a huge deal for us,” Dr. Saltsman said. “Pharmacists can now identify issues with patient dosages, insurance coverage or any other adjustment and make that change without adding another stop to their patient’s day.”
"It’s such a privilege to be a voice for people who are often pushed aside, and to serve them with respect in a manner that they deserve."
This is just one of many initiatives that Dr. Risner-Kissel has championed. Pharmacists administer the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services at Equitas Health and as those treatments become more advanced, Dr. Risner-Kissel implements the most up-to-date treatments and models with her team.
“Our pharmacists really run the PrEP programming at Equitas Health,” Dr. Risner-Kissel said. “Right now, we’re preparing for a new PrEP injectable coming to market around 2025 that’s a game changer. I love giving our pharmacists the power to be involved in the design and running of patient treatment programs like this.”
With the interprofessional model employed at the Equitas Health care locations, team members from all disciplines and levels can offer answers to that constant question of, "How do we make this work for our patients?"
“Our providers, pharmacists and professional workers really respect each other at Equitas Health,” Dr. Risner-Kissel said. “I can walk across the office and find answers to my questions and even pull in a provider or counselor to talk about problems our patients are facing. That keeps our conversation focused on what we can improve next.”
By empowering professionals and patients alike, Equitas Health rises to meet the needs of their community in surprising ways.
“Working with Equitas Health felt like a calling,” Dr. Risner-Kissel said. “It’s such a privilege to be a voice for people who are often pushed aside and to serve them with respect in a manner that they deserve. We’re always looking for ways to be the best care providers that we can and uphold our mission.”