This week, Prison Pipeline continues its conversation with Hilary Nichols of Oregon Health & Science University’s Richmond Clinic about the HEAL-R (Health Equity and Lived Experience at Richmond) program. In Part 2 of Prison Pipeline’s conversation with Hilary Nichols of Oregon Health & Science University’s Richmond Clinic, host Angela Kim explores how the HEAL-R (Health Equity and Lived Experience at Richmond) program is transforming reentry health care by placing people with lived experience at the center of the work.
Rather than viewing formerly incarcerated individuals simply as patients, HEAL-R recognizes them as experts whose experiences are essential to designing better systems of care. Nichols discusses how community members, physicians, nurses, students, and health care professionals work together to identify barriers, improve continuity of care, and build relationships rooted in trust and dignity.
The conversation examines the importance of community health workers, trauma-informed care, and partnerships that bridge the gap between incarceration and community-based medical services. Nichols also explains how OHSU is preparing future health care providers to better understand the realities of incarceration and the unique challenges people face when returning home…