Making Health Equity a Priority for the Most Vulnerable Among Us: A Message From Quest for Health Equity's Ruth Clements

By Ruth Clements, Vice President/General Manager, Infectious Diseases and Immunology and Quest for Health Equity

As we surpass the 1-year anniversary of Q4HE, I’m proud to share the work we’ve accomplished to help address and reduce the health equity gap. In collaboration with a growing number of partners, we’re addressing disparities that historically have made it difficult for underserved communities to access the care and resources they need to experience better health outcomes.

And while we’ve made progress, I’m keenly aware, as are many of you, of the work that lies ahead. To make meaningful changes, we need to address the health inequities that act as barriers to care for underserved communities. To accomplish this, we will continue to support and expand efforts with local and national partners focused on health equity while increasing access to affordable diagnostic testing and education to help patients take control of their health.

I’ve seen firsthand how those hardest hit by COVID-19—low-income communities and communities of color in particular—have come to rely on Quest for access to testing and information that can help reduce the spread of the virus among the most vulnerable. In my work with Q4HE, I’ve seen how Quest is helping those impacted by healthcare disparities through approaches that will create positive outcomes over the long term. Through these efforts—and by working closely with our growing network of partners—I’m convinced that we can help address the root causes of health inequities to create better outcomes for all.

I am proud to be a part of Q4HE and to work for a company that is taking meaningful and lasting steps to close these gaps and provide everyone with the chance to achieve the healthy life they deserve.

Read More