Healthcare Equity Consult Service

How can I request the Healthcare Equity Consult Service?

As a patient or family member, you can request the HECS by informing a member of your clinical care team (i.e., nurse, physician assistant, medical student, doctor, social worker) that you want a “Healthcare Equity Consult” or paging the Heathcare Equity Consult service at 38571. If you want to keep your request confidential, please let the consult service know. For more information contact the Healthcare Equity Consult Service.

Who can request the consult service?

The HECS is available to all inpatients in the University Hospital, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, and Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals. The service can also be requested by anyone on the clinical care team, including doctors, nurses, learners, social workers, and spiritual care staff. Please review the FAQ for more information. 

Who will respond to my request?

The consult service has specially trained social workers and spiritual care staff to meet with you and your family.  

Kamau Ayubbi ​(he/him)​

Staff Chaplain,​ Spiritual Care​

Kamau’s areas of interest include adult and adolescent psychiatric spiritual care, Muslim patient spiritual care, and staff wellness. He also loves sharing principles and practices of peace and meditation for all ages.​

Samantha Guyah, LMSW (she/her)

Healthcare Equity Consult Service Program Manager

Samantha’s areas of interest include integrated health care and managing co-occurring medical and mental health conditions. Samantha has experience working with populations across the lifespan in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This work has fueled Samantha's passion for further research and practice to reduce health disparities in historically vulnerable populations.

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Prianka Shakil-Brown, LMSW​ (she/her)​

Clinical Social Worker,​ Stepping Stones Pediatric Palliative Care​

 

Prianka is a social worker with the Pediatric Palliative Care team and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Implementation Lead in the Department of Social Work. She has a passion for supporting patients and families through their journeys with chronic or life-limiting illnesses.

What happens when I request the service?

After your request is received, the Healthcare Equity Consult Service team member will notify your clinical care team that a referral was requested. A Healthcare Equity Consult Service member will meet with you, your family, and the clinical care team. If you asked for the referral to be confidential, then the consult service will not document the request or final recommendations in the medical record. Depending on the situation, the Healthcare Equity Consult Service will follow up with appropriate team members to offer options that better meet your needs.   

Will you include this in my medical record?

After reviewing the case with the clinical care team and you and your family, the recommendations and action items will be documented in the medical record. If the person requesting the consult chooses not to provide their name, there will not be any documentation in the medical record. 

Will my family member or I be penalized if the HECS is called?

There will be no penalties or retaliation for requesting a consult. The purpose of the consult service is to support you and your family. The Healthcare Equity Consult Service will work with the care team to identify the problem and offer solutions to meet your needs.