At a time when public trust in healthcare is increasingly fragile—particularly among Black and marginalized communities—Dr. Lyons-Smith, a pediatric nurse practitioner and professor at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), stands as a powerful advocate for equity, clarity, and hope. Her work bridges patient care, academic leadership, and community-centered initiatives, all aimed at dismantling systemic barriers in medicine.
Championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Deeply committed to health equity, Dr. Lyons-Smith is a driving force for systemic change. As Director of the BSN Program at NCCU, a Teaching for Equity Fellow at Duke University, and the founder of the Reverse Mentoring Program, she fosters cultural competence in future healthcare professionals. Her initiatives prioritize building inclusive systems that support—not overlook—marginalized populations.
However, recent rollbacks in corporate health equity commitments, such as Google’s decision to quietly eliminate its initiatives, have raised concern.
“We are already suspicious of information that is readily at our fingertips. And when it’s not there anymore, we wonder if we should have even trusted it in the first place,” Dr. Lyons-Smith warns.
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This erosion of transparency fuels distrust, widens disparities, and deepens skepticism, especially among Black communities shaped by historical abuses like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
“That has caused problems,” she adds. “There’s average time spent to dispel myths when they come to the clinic—before we even come up with the overall medication and treatment plan that we’re hoping they’ll comply with…”
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The Consequences of Lost Trust
Distrust in healthcare systems has real consequences: missed appointments, resistance to treatment, and vulnerability to misinformation.
“Patients ask, ‘Should I even trust what you’re telling me?’” Dr. Lyons-Smith explains.
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When institutions fail to uphold their commitments, it falls to frontline providers to rebuild trust, patient by patient. Central to this process is culturally responsive care: engaging patients in their treatment plans, honoring their experiences, and allowing change to unfold gradually.
Dr. Lyons-Smith explains, “…When you go in there and you’re just kind of shouting out a plan to the patient for them to do, as if they have nothing to do with the process—they’re not going to comply…”
Community-Based Solutions in a Time of Retrenchment
As major corporations pull back, community-driven solutions have become more essential than ever. Dr. Lyons-Smith points to examples like Josef’s Pharmacy in Durham, North Carolina—a lifeline for low-income, underserved patients. But without stable funding, these efforts remain precarious.
Collaborative programs like LEAHP (Leading to Equitable Access to Health Professions)—a partnership between NCCU and Duke—aim to diversify the healthcare workforce and create more culturally competent providers. These initiatives recognize a fundamental truth.
“At North Carolina Central University, we’re collaborating with Duke University to do this program called Leading to Equitable Access to Health Professions—the LEAHP program,” Dr. Lyons-Smith shares.
Patients are more likely to trust—and follow guidance from—providers who look like them, understand their challenges, and communicate without judgment.
“They tell us that: ‘I am more comfortable speaking with someone that I feel might understand why I act a certain way,’” Dr. Lyons-Smith adds.
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Educating Nurses for an Equity-Driven Future
Dr. Lyons-Smith believes that tomorrow’s nurses must be equipped not only with clinical knowledge but also with cultural sensitivity and tech fluency. Training in AI, informatics, and evidence-based practice must go hand-in-hand with compassion, patience, and humility—the human traits that build trust.
Combating Misinformation with Facts and Empathy
Misinformation continues to challenge public health progress, especially when it spreads faster than the facts.
Dr. Lyons-Smith actively works to dispel common myths—particularly around vaccines—and encourages patients to rely on peer-reviewed research rather than social media rumors.
“Look at the real data. Trust the progress we’ve made. There’s a long track record now of health research that has saved Black lives,” she adds.
Looking Ahead: Trust as a Catalyst for Change
Despite the setbacks, Dr. Lyons-Smith remains optimistic. Her work is rooted in the belief that education and representation can rebuild trust and protect communities from the consequences of disinformation.
“I feel like there is still some optimism out there when it comes to patients as well as the providers and nurses,” she shares.
By expanding mentoring programs and supporting workforce diversity, she’s building a foundation where trust, representation, and science intersect, ensuring that progress is not lost but deepened.
“We cannot let temporary setbacks undo decades of progress. Every patient deserves dignity, and every community deserves access,” she concludes.
