Inspira Advantage interviewed Geneses Abril to provide application advice to aspiring physicians. Geneses is the Director of Communications & Marketing of California Black Women's Health.
How does the Emerging Healthcare Leaders Advocate Training Program (EHL - ATP) support California Black Women’s Health Project’s broader mission of advancing health equity for Black women in California?
The Emerging Healthcare Leaders Advocate Training Program, or EHL-ATP, supports California Black Women’s Health Project (CABWHP) by advancing its mission to achieve health equity for Black women, girls, families and communities across California. As a specialized branch of CABWHP’s acclaimed Advocate Training Program (ATP), the EHL-ATP focuses on building the leadership and advocacy skills of Black women in healthcare, wellness and healing professions. Through this program, CABWHP expands the capacity of a diverse and committed network of Black women to lead efforts that address systemic health inequities. This work also aligns with CABWHP’s broader commitment to developing leaders, public health professionals and community advocates who will champion wellness, justice and policy reform for Black women and girls throughout the state.
What specific skills, tools, or knowledge do participants gain through this program that help them become stronger healthcare advocates?
Participants in CABWHP’s EHL-ATP gain a wide range of practical and strategic tools, including training in health policy advocacy, civic engagement, leadership development and community organizing. These elements reflect the foundation of CABWHP’s broader Advocate Training Program, which has successfully prepared over 500 Black women advocates since its inception. EHL-ATP also introduces participants to media advocacy, effective outreach strategies and self-care practices that promote sustainability in their advocacy work. Through this training, CABWHP builds the capacity of healthcare professionals and future leaders to speak up for policy changes, design culturally responsive care models and serve as powerful voices in the movement for health equity.
What are some of the unique healthcare challenges Black women face, and how does this program prepare future leaders to address them?
California Black Women’s Health Project recognizes that Black women experience a range of unique healthcare challenges, including higher rates of maternal mortality, chronic stress from racism, limited access to quality and culturally responsive care and systemic bias in medical settings. Through the EHL-ATP, CABWHP prepares future leaders to confront these disparities by equipping them with advocacy tools, policy knowledge, and community-based strategies rooted in lived experience. The program aims to ensure that healthcare leaders are not only informed but also empowered to organize, educate and create lasting change.
For students considering careers in medicine or healthcare, what lessons from CABWHP’s advocacy work should they begin applying now?
Students pursuing careers in healthcare can begin applying key lessons from CABWHP’s advocacy work today. These include leading with cultural humility, listening to community needs and understanding the impact of systemic racism on health outcomes. CABWHP’s Advocate Training Programs, including EHL-ATP, emphasize that healthcare professionals must go beyond clinical care and embrace their role as advocates for justice and equity. Students should seek opportunities to engage with community-based work, learn about health policy and participate in civic engagement. CABWHP remains committed to building the capacity of future healthcare providers who will lead with compassion, challenge health disparities and redefine what quality care looks like for Black women.
What does “redefining women’s health” mean to CABWHP, and how do you see the next generation of healthcare leaders carrying that forward?
To California Black Women’s Health Project, redefining women’s health means centering the experiences, needs and insights of Black women in all aspects of health and wellness. It calls for a more inclusive and holistic view of health that acknowledges the influence of social, emotional, spiritual and political factors. CABWHP believes that women’s health must be addressed not just through clinical interventions but also through policy change, advocacy and community empowerment. The next generation of healthcare leaders, trained through CABWHP’s EHL-ATP, carry this vision forward by creating systems that are equitable, culturally responsive and grounded in justice. Through this work, CABWHP continues to invest in building the capacity of emerging leaders, public health professionals and advocates to lead this transformation.
Inspira Advantage is proud to feature insights from leaders like Geneses Abril to understand the importance of culturally responsive care and inclusive support for diverse communities.
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