In this episode of The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast, Seth Serxner welcomes Blair Durham, co-founder and CEO of Black BRAND, to discuss the intersection of workforce health literacy, economic empowerment, and community development, with a special focus on narrowing the racial wealth gap in Hampton Roads.

Blair Durham is a dynamic leader who has spent the past decade building Black BRAND - Hampton Roads’ Regional Black Chamber of Commerce - into a powerhouse for business and professional development. With a background in psychology and sociology, and a keen passion for social equity, Blair is leading transformative initiatives in entrepreneurship, workforce preparation, access to capital, and financial sustainability that aim to strengthen and expand Black-owned businesses while fostering regional economic growth.

Seth and Blair explore the strategies and outcomes of Black BRAND’s work, touching on the vital importance of health literacy in personal and collective economic success. Their conversation offers powerful insights for anyone interested in building healthier, more resilient, and inclusive communities.

Key takeaways from their conversation:

☑️ Black BRAND is committed to addressing gaps in business development, professional advancement, and entrepreneurship for the Black community - while simultaneously promoting regional economic growth.

☑️ Black BRAND has facilitated millions of dollars in grants and loan access, and is now working to build its own financial institution to better serve graduates and local businesses.

☑️ With over 700 entrepreneurs supported since COVID and targeted initiatives for women in workforce development, Black BRAND meticulously tracks outcomes to demonstrate real impact to funders and the community.

☑️ Blair emphasizes that Black BRAND’s focus on workforce readiness and inclusive economic development transcends political winds, serving a broad business case that benefits all.

☑️ Recognizing that health literacy is the single greatest determinant of health outcomes, Black BRAND integrates wellness initiatives - from educational forums to healthy workplace practices - into its broader economic mission.

☑️ The organization is pioneering efforts to raise awareness among business owners about the critical connection between their personal well-being and professional success.

Blair’s optimism and clear-eyed vision highlight the power of community-rooted partnerships and targeted action to advance both health and economic well-being.

Links:

Blair Durham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-durham-15528a17a/

Black Brand: https://www.blackbrand.biz

Learn About EdLogics

Want to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?

Visit EdLogics.

About The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast

Improving health literacy — the ability to understand and act on health information — is key to improving health outcomes and lowering costs. Together with business and community leaders, we'll explore effective, behavior-changing solutions that can improve health literacy — and drive engagement in corporate and public health and wellness programs.

The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast is produced by the HR podcast production agency.

Employer healthcare cost inflation in the US is accelerating - yet Americans live nearly five years less than people in other developed nations. Many families now face out-of-pocket expenses that exceed their available cash, even with employer-sponsored coverage.

Garner Health analyzes roughly 75% of all claims nationwide, allowing it to evaluate virtually every doctor in the country. Their data shows that low-performing physicians can have four times the complication rates and are five times more likely to deliver unnecessary care.

Seth Serxner recently spoke with Kirk Czonstka, SVP of Strategic Alliances at Garner Health, about how the company uses claims and analytics to identify top doctors and help people get better care while spending less.

Seth and Kirk also discuss:

☑️ The Rising Cost and Declining Quality of U.S. Healthcare: Despite increased spending, life expectancy lags, and cost inflation for employers is unsustainable.

☑️ Complexity Doesn’t Equal Engagement: Adding more vendors and solutions hasn’t translated into meaningful employee action, with less than 5% using traditional tools.

☑️ The Doctor Makes the Difference: Analysis shows that individual physician performance, not just the right network or hospital, has the greatest impact on cost and outcomes. Guiding patients to high-performing providers achieves an average of 27% savings per episode of care, without compromising quality.

☑️ High Variation in Care Quality: Data reveals alarming differences even within the same facility; low-performing doctors can drive up to four times the complications, and five times more unnecessary care.

☑️ Overcoming Provider Pushback: While no doctor likes tough feedback, transparent, evidence-based performance metrics help both employers and providers identify improvement opportunities.

☑️ Driving Change in Provider Behavior: Health systems and large physician groups are leveraging Garner’s analytics to inform referrals and internal practice transformation for better performance.

☑️ Making Quality Data Consumer-Friendly: Recognizing the average employee isn’t a data analyst, Garner simplifies choices and incentivizes use by reimbursing out-of-pocket costs when recommended providers are chosen.

☑️ The Role of Health Literacy: With barely 1 in 10 Americans considered health literate, empowering people to understand and act on trusted data is as critical as the data itself, and financial incentives can be an effective catalyst.

☑️ Addressing Disparities in Care: While still aspirational, Kirk’s team is working to leverage demographic information to further personalize recommendations and address differential care by ethnicity and gender.

☑️ And much more.

If you care about cutting healthcare costs and making smarter choices, you won’t want to miss this episode.

About The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast

Improving health literacy - the ability to understand and act on health information - is key to improving health outcomes and lowering costs.

Together with business and community leaders, we'll explore effective, behavior-changing solutions that can improve health literacy and drive engagement in corporate and public health and wellness programs.

Visit the podcast home page here: www.edlogics.com/podcast.

About EdLogics

Want to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?

Visit the EdLogics website: www.edlogics.com

In this special episode of The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast, host Seth Serxner swaps seats with Tom Chamberlain for an engaging exploration of the intersection between health literacy, wellbeing, and practical daily habits - guided by Seth's new book, “The Wellbeing Effect: Bite-Sized Practices for Busy People to Lead Happier, Healthier Lives”.

Seth Serxner, Chief Health Officer at EdLogics, is a nationally recognized expert in health promotion and workplace wellbeing. With advanced degrees in psychology, public health, and health promotion from leading California universities, Seth has spent decades translating behavioral science into actionable strategies - in academia, the private sector, and as an author and thought leader.

His personal journey, shaped by both academic rigor and a life-changing injury, has fueled his dedication to making health concepts accessible and empowering for everyday individuals and organizations.

Tom and Seth also discuss:

☑️ The Wellbeing Effect: His new book was inspired by a desire to reach employees directly, offering practical, evidence-based tips after seeing the impact of his wellbeing webinars during COVID.

☑️ Personal Adversity as Teacher: A serious ski accident gave Seth firsthand insight into navigating the healthcare system and deepened his appreciation for foundational wellbeing practices.

☑️ Mastering Behavior Change: Lasting change requires more than inspiration: Seth breaks down behavior change into awareness, skill-building, and maintenance, all anchored by personal purpose.

☑️ From Wellness to Wellbeing: Traditional “wellness” targets risk factors, while “wellbeing” focuses on living longer, happier lives. Seth outlines three domains: foundational, emotional, and holistic wellbeing.

☑️ Health Literacy as Foundation: Health literacy is a powerful determinant of health, even more than income or education. Understanding and navigating the healthcare system is core to personal and community wellbeing.

☑️ The Power of Purpose, Awe, and Social Connections: Seth highlights the science behind purpose, awe, gratitude, humor, and meaningful social connections as often-overlooked but critical elements of wellbeing and resilience.

☑️ Addressing Loneliness and Caregiving: Tackling loneliness—often called a new epidemic—and supporting caregivers are essential for improving health outcomes across all generations.

☑️ Community and Workforce Impact: Employers and communities are recognizing that boosting health literacy and wellbeing drives better health outcomes, lifts whole populations, and fosters healthier, happier workplaces.

This episode is a compelling reminder that small, intentional steps, grounded in science, purpose, and connection, can generate outsized impacts on our personal and collective health.

Buy the book: sethserxner.com/book-2/

Learn About EdLogics

Want to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?

Visit the EdLogics website: www.edlogics.com