A Conversation with Roli Dwivedi, MD
Interview by Emie Buege, MAFP Communications & Marketing
This article originally appeared in the spring 2023 edition of the Minnesota Family Physician magazine.
Roli Dwivedi, MD, is a family physician, leader, advocate, educator and change-maker. For nearly 15 years, Dwivedi has been instrumental in advancing health equity and centering care on patients and communities at the Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC), a Federally Qualified Health Center at the University of Minnesota. On December 5, 2022, she became CUHCC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Dwivedi is also an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, where she teaches and mentors the next generation of family physicians with a focus on culturally competent care and serves as both the Vice Chair for Community Engagement and Advocacy and Mac Baird Endowed Chair in Advocacy and Community Engagement.
In addition to leading, teaching and advocating through her roles at the University of Minnesota, Dwivedi is a valued member of several health care leadership and quality committees across the state and part of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) executive leadership team, currently serving as the MAFP President Elect.
When asked how she strikes a balance among all these important roles, Dwivedi said, “They are all interconnected; just the hats are changing. My patients are always at the center, whether I am seeing them in the exam room, building a care model, fundraising, advocating for an issue or teaching a learner. Keeping my patients at the center keeps me focused and grounded.”
of the House for our
2023 House of Delegates.
We asked Dwivedi to share more about her work as a leader and advocate and why advocacy and leadership is so important for family physicians.
WHAT WAS YOUR PATH TO BECOMING CUHCC’S CEO?
Dwivedi: I started my professional journey as a physician in India. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to build and run a charitable clinic but, soon after, I needed to immigrate to the U.S. Starting school, learning new ways of providing care, using computers and evidence-based medicine was all new for me. I mostly learned patient-centered care in India. These learnings in two worlds gave me a third way of seeing things.
Joining the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and CUHCC and staying in academia was one of the best decisions of my life. At CUHCC, I have the opportunity to serve the underserved, marginalized populations and people of color who are coming from all over the world. Within my capacity as a medical director and later as chief clinical officer, I was able to create several innovative approaches of providing community-centered care.
When I was offered the job of CEO at CUHCC, I needed to pause, but then realized that I have an opportunity to touch several thousands of lives and advocate for them, and that led me to my current role.
CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLES AT THE UNIVERSITY IN ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT?
Dwivedi: The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota has always been excellent at providing comprehensive primary care to our communities and creating models for family medicine. COVID was an opportunity for the department to extend its role in creating community-engaged and -led health care.
My role as the Mac Baird Endowed Chair will help in equipping the department with infrastructure that supports our faculty, residents and clinics in working closely with community members and organizations to identify important health topics, connect resources for better health and advance health equity.
Our vision is to bring together faculty, staff, learners, community members and resources to address the social determinants of health and racism in order to eliminate barriers and make measurable improvement in the health of our patients and communities.
WHY DO YOU THINK ADVOCACY TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS?
Dwivedi: There is an abundance of research and literature that advocacy leads to improved health outcomes and patient experiences. Advocacy is also inclusion—we can address racism and systemic issues that directly impact the health of our communities.
Physicians should advocate for addressing the physical, social, emotional and political determinants of health. All this involves training and skill set. With the right kind of training, impactful advocacy happens.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAFP IN ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY?
Dwivedi:
- Advocating for access to primary care for marginalized populations (i.e., BIPOC, rural and global communities).
- Continuing advocacy on issues like reproductive health, addiction care, LGBTQ+ health, gun violence and racism.
- Working to increase diversity in the family medicine workforce and strengthening financially sustainable mechanisms for a continuous pipeline.
- Increasing access to primary care in rural areas.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS TO BE LEADERS IN HEALTH CARE?
Dwivedi: Family physicians are the strongest pillar of primary care. They also serve the most underserved populations in both urban and rural areas. To advance health equity, strengthening primary care is very important. And, in order to strengthen primary care, family physicians must embrace the role of leaders.
Health systems are constantly evolving and ever changing, from payment models to population health to innovative technologies to care delivery, etc. Having family physicians at the table will ensure that health care systems are centered around equity.
We also need family medicine leaders in academia to prepare future leaders to respond to health care needs.
