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Background and Significance

The African American Health Coalition: Building Health Equity Infrastructure in Houston

Before we talk about Eli Lilly's strategy, let me tell you about the organization that made December 13's community health event possible.

Founded in 1997, the African American Health Coalition (AfAHC) is a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and advocating for healthy communities for people of African descent. Under the leadership of Executive Director Jometra Hawkins-Sneed, AfAHC addresses systemic health disparities and works to improve life expectancy in communities that have historically been underserved by traditional healthcare systems.

AfAHC's mission is clear: To promote healthy lifestyles and advocate for healthy communities for people of African descent, addressing systemic disparities and improving life expectancy.

Their work operates through four strategic pillars:

Social Determinants of Health Solutions: AfAHC uncovers and connects partners and community members to resources that address and improve the social determinants of health and public health practices in the Greater Houston area. They understand that health outcomes aren't just about access to doctors, they're about housing, transportation, food security, education, and economic stability.

Health Equity Policy Improvement: Public health policy approaches have demonstrated measurable improvements in population health outcomes. AfAHC advocates for equitable policies that have the greatest impact when they target the social determinants of health. They work with local government, health systems, and community organizations to create systemic change.

Community Engagement: AfAHC works directly with the community to advocate, educate, and implement solutions to better serve communities where health equity is the primary focus. They don't just bring healthcare to communities, they partner with communities to design healthcare that actually works for them.

Education & Awareness: Regional training, education, and health events for healthcare professionals and community-based organizations serving the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. AfAHC understands that healthcare professionals need training on cultural competence, social determinants, and community-based care delivery models.

AfAHC collaborates with major Houston health institutions including Harris County Medicaid Expansion Collaborative, Harris County Public Health, CHIP & CHA Steering Committee & Engagement Advisory Council, Health Equity Collective, CHW Network of Greater Houston, National Black Leadership on Cancer Houston, and Sunnyside UP: A Community Health Collaborative.

Their Wellness on Wheels initiative brings mobile health screenings directly to underserved communities, removing barriers like transportation, cost, and time off work that prevent people from accessing preventive care.

And on December 13, Eli Lilly sponsored this work.

That sponsorship decision tells you everything you need to know about where healthcare dollars are moving.

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Why Eli Lilly Sponsored a Community Health Screening Event

Eli Lilly didn't sponsor AfAHC's Wellness on Wheels event out of pure altruism. They did it because community health infrastructure is now a strategic business investment.

As of late 2025, Eli Lilly became the world's first $1 trillion healthcare company, a valuation driven almost entirely by its pivot from traditional pharmaceuticals to metabolic disease dominance.

Everyone knows Lilly for weight loss right now (Mounjaro, Zepbound). But the next chapter? Treating metabolic syndrome as a whole system: obesity, diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea.

And to succeed in that strategy, Lilly needs to do more than sell drugs. They need to:

1. Build trust in underserved communities (where metabolic disease rates are highest)
2. Establish early detection pathways (so patients get diagnosed before complications)
3. Position themselves as partners in health equity (not just pharmaceutical companies extracting profit)

That's why they sponsor events like AfAHC's mobile health screenings.

They're not just giving back. They're building infrastructure for their next decade of growth.

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Eli Lilly's Three-Pillar Metabolic Disease Strategy

Let me break down exactly what Lilly is building, and why it matters to your practice.

Pillar 1: The Commercial Engine

Mounjaro and Zepbound (both the same molecule, tirzepatide) generated over $10 billion in quarterly revenue by late 2025, making them the best-selling drug franchise in the world.

Lilly shifted from "price-led" growth to "volume-led" growth. They massively expanded manufacturing capacity in 2024 and 2025 to meet global demand, ending the shortages that plagued 2023-2024.

Translation: They're not trying to charge the highest price. They're trying to reach the most people. That means broader insurance coverage, more patient access, and more opportunities for providers who can integrate these therapies into their practices.

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Pillar 2: Major Clinical Wins in 2025

Lilly released landmark data in 2025 that repositioned their drugs from "weight loss tools" to "holistic health interventions":

SURPASS-CVOT (July 2025): Mounjaro showed a 16% reduction in all-cause death and benefits in kidney function, positioning the drug as a heart-and-kidney protective agent, not just for blood sugar control.

Sleep Apnea: Tirzepatide became the first drug approved to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in obese patients, opening a massive new reimbursable market.

Heart Failure (SUMMIT trial): Tirzepatide significantly reduced the risk of heart failure outcomes in patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity.

Translation: This isn't a weight loss drug anymore. It's a metabolic health drug. And that means it's relevant to dermatology, aesthetics, cardiology, nephrology, pulmonology, and primary care.

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Pillar 3: The Next-Gen Pipeline

Lilly is aggressively building beyond Mounjaro with even more potent treatments:

Retatrutide ("Triple G"): In December 2025, Phase 3 results (TRIUMPH-4) showed phenomenal ~29% weight loss, approaching bariatric surgery levels. It targets three hormones (GLP-1, GIP, and Glucagon) and also showed a massive reduction in knee osteoarthritis pain, signaling a future indication for pain management.

Orforglipron (The Oral Pill): A daily pill (non-peptide) that removes the need for injections. In late 2025, Lilly submitted this to the FDA after Phase 3 trials showed it could maintain weight loss effectively. This is viewed as the key to unlocking global mass markets where cold-chain injections are difficult to distribute.

Lepodisiran (Cardiovascular): A "gene-silencing" (siRNA) therapy that reduces Lipoprotein(a), a genetic risk factor for heart disease, by over 90% with just a few injections a year. This moves Lilly deeply into the pure cardiovascular space.

Translation: Lilly is moving from treating single conditions (like "high blood sugar") to treating Metabolic Syndrome as a whole. Their portfolio now addresses the interconnected web of obesity, diabetes, liver disease (MASH/NASH positive Phase 2 data), heart disease, and structural health (osteoarthritis, sleep apnea).

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Implications for Dermatology and Aesthetic Nurse Practitioners

Now that you understand what Lilly is building and why they're investing in community health infrastructure like AfAHC's Wellness on Wheels, here's how you can position your aesthetic practice to benefit from this market shift.

Strategy 1: Partner with Corporate-Sponsored Community Health Initiatives

Organizations like AfAHC are actively seeking healthcare providers to participate in community health screenings and health equity programming. Pharmaceutical companies like Lilly sponsor these initiatives because they align with their long-term market strategies.

Why this matters for your practice:

When you show up to serve underserved communities through mobile health screenings, health fairs, or community education events, you're doing four things simultaneously:

1. Building trust and referrals: Community members who receive free screenings remember the providers who showed up. When they're ready to seek aesthetic services, dermatology care, or preventive health services, they call the NPs they already know and trust.
   
   
2. Increasing regional visibility: AfAHC promotes their events through community networks, local media, and social media. Your participation positions you as a provider who cares about health equity, not just profit.
   
   
3. Aligning with corporate sponsors: Lilly isn't the only pharmaceutical company investing in community health. When you partner with organizations like AfAHC, you demonstrate to corporate sponsors that you understand population health, social determinants, and health equity. That positions you for future partnerships, speaking opportunities, and advisory roles.
   
   
4. Accessing budgets you didn't know existed: Most cosmetic NPs are trying to figure out how to pay for marketing. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies have community investment budgets specifically designed to build relationships with providers serving underserved populations. Position yourself inside that ecosystem.
   
   

How to start: Contact local nonprofits working on health equity in your region. Offer to provide free skin cancer screenings, nutrition education, or metabolic health assessments at their next community event. Bring educational materials. Collect email addresses (with consent) for follow-up.

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Strategy 2: Integrate Metabolic Health Services Into Your Aesthetic Practice

Weight management isn't just GLP-1 prescribing. It's comprehensive metabolic health: insulin resistance screening, body composition analysis, nutrition counseling, and dermatologic manifestations of metabolic syndrome.

Dermatologic manifestations of metabolic syndrome include:

• Acanthosis nigricans (dark, velvety skin in body folds, marker of insulin resistance)
• Skin tags (associated with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome)
• Psoriasis (linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease)
• Hidradenitis suppurativa (chronic inflammatory skin condition strongly associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome)

Your aesthetic patients are already coming to you for confidence. They're concerned about body image, skin health, and how they present to the world. Expanding your clinical scope to address the metabolic health conditions affecting their skin and body composition creates additional revenue streams while improving patient outcomes.

Lilly's pipeline signals where the market is going: oral weight loss pills (Orforglipron), triple-hormone therapies (Retatrutide), treatments for liver disease (MASH/NASH). You can position yourself now, before your competitors figure this out.

How to start: Add body composition analysis to your intake process. Screen for insulin resistance (fasting glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin if accessible). Educate patients on the connection between metabolic health and skin conditions. Offer comprehensive metabolic health consultations as an add-on service.

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Strategy 3: Build Referral Networks with Primary Care and Cardiology

Lilly's 2025 clinical data showed tirzepatide reduces cardiovascular events by 16%, improves kidney function, and treats heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). That means primary care providers and cardiologists will be overwhelmed with patients needing metabolic health management.

Position yourself as the aesthetic NP who understands metabolic health and can take referrals for dermatologic manifestations of diabetes, PCOS, thyroid disorders, and obesity-related skin conditions.

This isn't scope creep into primary care. This is establishing dermatology and aesthetic expertise for the whole patient within your existing scope of practice.

How to start: Reach out to primary care practices and cardiology groups in your area. Offer to be their referral partner for patients with acanthosis nigricans, skin tags, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, or other dermatologic manifestations of metabolic disease. Create a one-page referral sheet explaining what conditions you treat and how to refer.

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Bonus Strategy: Consider Direct Investment in Eli Lilly

If you believe metabolic disease is the future of healthcare (and the $1 trillion valuation suggests institutional investors agree), consider allocating a portion of your investment portfolio to Lilly.

Depending on your financial status and risk tolerance:

Direct Stock Purchase: Start with fractional shares through platforms like Robinhood, Fidelity, or Schwab.

ETF Options for Diversified Exposure:

• OZEM (Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF) - The "Rocket Ship"
  
  • YTD Performance: ~42%
  • Lilly Exposure: ~14-16%
  • Strategy: Concentrated exposure to GLP-1 weight loss market leaders (Lilly + Novo Nordisk)
  • Buy this if you believe the weight loss boom is just getting started

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• IHE (iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF) - The "Pharma Pure Play"
  
  • YTD Performance: ~32%
  • Lilly Exposure: ~23.6% (nearly one-quarter of fund)
  • Strategy: Focused exclusively on drug manufacturers, excluding devices/insurance
  • This is the closest thing to owning Lilly without betting everything on one stock

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• XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund) - The "Safe Bet"
  
  • YTD Performance: ~14%
  • Lilly Exposure: ~15%
  • Strategy: Diversified across entire healthcare sector (pharma, devices, insurance, providers)
  • Buy this if you want to sleep well at night

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Closing Statement

The cosmetic NPs who build sustainable practices over the next five years won't be those chasing the newest injectable trend. They'll be those who understand revenue diversification aligned with where healthcare investment dollars are actually moving.

Eli Lilly is signaling market direction through both clinical innovation and community investment. Organizations like the African American Health Coalition are building the health equity infrastructure that pharmaceutical companies are betting on for the next decade.

Strategic practitioners are paying attention.

If you're a cosmetic or dermatology nurse practitioner interested in financial literacy, business strategy, and revenue diversification beyond traditional aesthetic services, The Alliance of Cosmetic Nurse Practitioners integrates all 9 Pillars of Advanced Practice Nursing, including business acumen, financial strategy, and investment education.

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Learn more: www.cosmeticnp.org

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About the Author

Dr. Kimberly Madison, DNP, GPCNP-BC, WCC, is a Board-Certified, Doctorally-prepared Nurse Practitioner, educator, and author dedicated to advancing dermatology nursing education and research with an emphasis on skin of color. As the founder of Mahogany Dermatology Nursing | Education | Research™ and the Alliance of Cosmetic Nurse Practitioners™, she expands access to dermatology research, business acumen, and innovation while also leading professional groups and mentoring clinicians. Through her engaging and informative social media content and peer-reviewed research, Dr. Madison empowers nurses and healthcare professionals to excel in dermatology and improve patient care

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FINANCIAL DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this article regarding investment opportunities, stock purchases, and ETF options is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Dr. Kimberly Madison is not a licensed financial advisor, certified financial planner, or investment professional. Before making any investment decisions, including purchasing stocks or ETFs mentioned in this article, you should consult with a qualified financial advisor who can assess your individual financial situation, risk tolerance, and investment goals. Past performance of any investment does not guarantee future results. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. This article does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation to buy or sell any specific securities.

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