Exploring Life & Business with Alicia Coulter, MPH, MSW of Advantage Health Now

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Coulter, MPH, MSW.

Hi Alicia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a Black woman with a Master’s of Social Work from California State University, Dominguez Hills, my focus was centered in Critical Race Theory, however, I did not know how I was going to use my skillset. My career trajectory took me on the path of healthcare within underserved communities within hospitals, hospice, and managed care organizations (healthcare insurance plans). As I progressed in that space, I decided to return to school to obtain my Master’s of Public Health (MPH) from University of California, Los Angeles to grasp greater knowledge of healthcare from a management perspective. While there, I realized, healthcare equity and advocacy is needed within the healthcare space that is mostly governed by white women. While in the MPH program, I started our family business, Advantage Health Now, LLC. I felt no better time than now!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No! The road for me has not been smooth, however, the best success is the earned success. I remember, while in my MSW program having to endure structural racism in a program that was supposed to be progressive and encourage a diverse environment. Nonetheless, I persevered, even when a professor was not in line with my thesis subject matter. Instead of giving up, I used the same advocacy skills that I use and teach my clients to make sure I stayed on track to graduate, WITH HONORS!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Advantage Health Now?
We are a health advocacy organization that is centered around providing health education services to help individuals execute successful health advocacy. We also provide curricula for organizations that desire to ally with the Black and Brown community to help not just promote but to execute health equity. What sets us apart from others is, with me at the helm, you’re not just getting an afro-centric approach to self-advocacy, you’re getting this service from a Black Woman with a Master’s in Social work AND Master’s in Public Health. My academic experience and credentials help me deliver relevant materials that are created at an academic level with evidence-based practice.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I cannot say that I’ve learned anything interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 Crisis as in my career space, health inequities have been prevalent. What I will say is the crisis has amplified the blatant racism that is evident within the academic and healthcare spaces. I do hope that this crisis fuels policy change that will benefit Black and Brown communities in the immediate future. We are seeing a true decline in academic success in Black and Brown communities alike and the biggest fear I have is will we realize we have failed this current generation more than the Jim Crow generations were failed.

Contact Info:

• Email: alicia@healthequtiymph.com
• Website: https://linktr.ee/healthequitymph
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthequitymph/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthequitymph
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthequitymph