By: AK Infinite and Elevate Advocacy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have catalyzed transformative change across the healthcare sector. Specifically, DEI in clinical research aims to ensure that anyone who may one day take medication or use a device in their healthcare journey has their lived experience with disease or health included in the design and implementation of clinical research. This is to improve the representation of historically underserved communities by clinical research and to increase the potential of new drugs and devices to be as safe and effective as possible.
Angela Rochelle, Senior Health Equity strategist at Elevate Advocacy, is a passionate advocate for health equity, patient empowerment, and cultural connections.
Elevate Advocacy is a boutique consulting firm in the realm of healthcare. They understand that patient advocacy serves as a vital link between scientific advancements and the individuals and communities relying on them. Their team is dedicated to authentic and differentiated engagement with diverse patients, caregivers, and advocate leaders. Their approach, steeped in extensive industry experience, adds immediate value to teams involved in clinical research, product commercialization, and community engagement.
Angela has built her career in marketing and advertising. Her background spans 20 years in strategy development, advertising, and marketing to engage and empower multicultural and diverse communities. Her industry experience includes successful roles in patient engagement and recruitment and advocacy work with clients focused on increasing health literacy and partnership with diverse audiences. She has championed program development for clinical research awareness and patient education to support improving more diverse patient representation in clinical trials.
“At Elevate, our vision for DEI and healthcare is to ensure everyone has the potential to live their healthiest lives. To do so, we must address the greatest unmet needs among diverse patient communities,” says Angela.
Elevate Advocacy distinguishes itself by ensuring DEI is integral to every advocacy strategy, ensuring all patients are actively engaged in their healthcare journey, especially those disproportionately affected by illness.
Their commitment to sustainability is one thing that sets them apart. The firm actively involves cross-functional drug development teams in creating Diversity Action Plans (DAPs), guiding inclusive and intentional approaches. Their collaborative framework ensures the DAP has buy-in at every level of clinical development. It empowers teams to write integrated DAPs so that each member of the drug development team is accountable for its success, thus fostering a culture of inclusivity and purpose-driven action.
“For companies that have a vested interest in DEI within the healthcare landscape, interacting at the community level provides an opportunity to understand each community’s needs from those within the community and co-create solutions with community members. It also provides an opportunity to understand the key barriers diverse communities face as they relate to their healthcare needs, issues, and concerns,” emphasizes Angela.
The firm actively counsels clients on optimizing their clinical trials for rare and common disorders, organizes virtual and in-person speaker series with leading advocacy and healthcare experts, and drives health literacy and education initiatives throughout a product’s lifecycle. By centering diverse patient insights, Angela and the Elevate team contribute to creating a more inclusive and patient-centric healthcare ecosystem.
“Data shows that diverse communities throughout the U.S. experienced higher rates of illness and death across health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Health Equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health when we recognize, respect, and support the diversity of these communities and the challenges they face,” explains Angela.
Elevate Advocacy is here to provide strategic guidance with a genuine commitment to equitable healthcare access for every person’s welfare. Angela and her team champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, making Elevate Advocacy an ideal partner to drive better and more equitable drug development and access in the healthcare industry.
Published By: Aize Perez
