WORKSHOP SESSION 5

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

2:00-3:00pm (CST)

Historical Antecedents to Health Disparities – 1850 to 1970

Presenter(s)

• Mark Johnson, MD, MPH | Professor and Chair, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine

It is easy to imagine that slavery still has an impact on African American patients. What may be less known are the decisions, based on structural racism, that have advanced the subjugation of African Americans during times of progress. This workshop will review periods in our history when decisions were made that ultimately caused increased economic and social inequities to minority populations. The purpose will be to connect these historical antecedents with the current health disparities, so that any discussion on the eradication of the health disparities will have to include an understanding of the past.

A Successful Partnership to Address Racism, Equity, Inclusion and Unconscious Bias in Resident Training

Presenter(s)

• Miriam Bar-on, Assist. VP for GME and DIO, Einstein Healthcare Network
• Duane Reynolds, Founder and CEO, Just Health Collective, LLC
• Merle Carter, MD, Vice Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Einstein Healthcare Network

This highly interactive workshop will describe the formation of a novel educational partnership between an academic medical center and a nonprofit community agency addressing healthcare disparities. After reviewing the learning objectives and participant expectations, the leaders will present a mini-didactic reviewing the issues of Racism/Equity in Healthcare, Inclusion and Unconscious Bias, how they were addressed in an innovative manner. In small groups on Zoom, participants will explore potential partnership opportunities and plan sessions for their institutions including topics, learning objectives and educational methodologies. Report outs to share group work and discussions of potential barriers will conclude the session.

Understanding and Applying the Science at the Intersection of Racism, Trauma and Health Disparities

Presenter(s)

• Audrey Stillerman, MD | Co-founder/Medical Director School Health Centers/Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Center for Collaborative Study of Trauma Health Equity and Neurobiology (THEN), UIC Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships/Department of Family Medicine
• Patricia Rush, MD MBA–THEN Co-founder, retired internist, previously Associate Professor at UChicago
• Loren Williams EdD, LCPC  is a highly experienced therapist who has been providing mental wellness services in various communities, particularly on the south and west sides of Chicago, for over the last 15 years. Dr. Williams is a member of the THEN Center Advisory Board.

In this workshop, presenters will describe a new comprehensive model using Brain-Body Regulation to explain the impact of adverse Social Determinants on health.  Particularly in the USA, understanding Health Disparity requires confronting the devastating impact of Racial Trauma.  Presenters will define trauma and explain how racism and discrimination meet this definition, provide data about the connection between the experience of discrimination and poor health outcomes, and share scientific evidence about how racism is embodied in our physiology.  After the didactic, we’ll share short reflection and regulatory exercises before group discussion of a case using this new model.