Dismantling Racism in Health Research Panel Insights

DISMANTLING RACISM IN HEALTH RESEARCH PANEL Geoff Houtz

Panel on September 27th, 2018 Opening Remarks by Kauline Cipriani, PhD (UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence) 3 panelists from interdisciplinary areas Paul Cuadros, MS (School of Journalism and Mass Communications) Kori Flower, MD, MS, MPH (Primary Care, Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine) Folami Ideraabdullah, PhD (Genetics & Nutrition) Over 50 attendees from various communities at UNC including Gillings, SOM, Biology, Genetics, Epidemiology, Social Work, etc. Also served as a place for student groups to share the work they are doing and promote collaboration (SNMA, SACNAS, MSC) in addition to list serve signups (Equity Collective)

Panel on September 27th, 2018 Successes Successes Completely student led effort Good attendance numbers Interdisciplinary discussion was achieved Many people reached out about the recording of discussion Dean Cipriani was excited about the discussion and willing to talk about sustainability Dr. Bright was there too! Areas for Improvement Areas for Improvement Panel lacked cohesive discussion and organization (Translating Research to Clinical Care) Absence of a true panel moderator Panelists struggled to answer questions at the end of panel Sustainability moving forward Planning was top heavy (2-3 people did most of the work)

A little history The Dismantling Racism in Medicine Coalition was originally started by UNC-CH students in the Fall of 2016 as part of AMSA (I found Margo Faulk s name on previous talks and she shared their working google drive folder) Three Pronged Approach with 3 Sub-Committees: 1. Medical Education 2. Clinical Care 3. Research The Dismantling Racism in Medicine Coalition is composed of students, staff, faculty and residents at the School of Medicine and other professional schools who are pushing the institution to adopt a racial justice perspective with regards to medical education, clinical care, and research. Modeled after a movement that started at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

Mission of DRMC To raise awareness of and take concrete action to address health disparities To raise awareness of and take concrete action to address health disparities beginning within the UNC SOM institution, with the potential to expand to other beginning within the UNC SOM institution, with the potential to expand to other academic, public and private institutions and address broader societal issues academic, public and private institutions and address broader societal issues as the movement grows. UNC SOM prides itself on inclusivity and diversity. In as the movement grows. UNC SOM prides itself on inclusivity and diversity. In the area of patient care the mission statement says, the area of patient care the mission statement says, We will promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond. Carolina and beyond. The mission statement The mission statement also recruit outstanding students and trainees from highly diverse backgrounds to recruit outstanding students and trainees from highly diverse backgrounds to create a socially responsible, highly skilled workforce create a socially responsible, highly skilled workforce . . In the area of research there is no specific reference to diversity, but to support a rich array of there is no specific reference to diversity, but to support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers, and resources . outstanding health sciences research programs, centers, and resources . We will push the school of medicine to actualize its mission statement by will push the school of medicine to actualize its mission statement by incorporating anti incorporating anti- -racism work in its medical education, clinical care, and racism work in its medical education, clinical care, and research research. . We will promote health also includes a commitment includes a commitment to to In the area of research We

Mission of DRMC We aim to collaborate with individuals or groups across UNC We aim to collaborate with individuals or groups across UNC who share our goal of dismantling racism in health care, so who share our goal of dismantling racism in health care, so please reach out to discuss how we can mutually support please reach out to discuss how we can mutually support and collaborate across professional schools to form an anti and collaborate across professional schools to form an anti- - racism health professionals movement. racism health professionals movement.

Post-Panel Sustainability Efforts Primarily working with Allison Lacko (Gillings student) and Dr. Colin Orr (Pediatrician) Meeting with Dean Cipriani on October 18th She offered to be a co-advisor for a student-run committee on interdisciplinary healthy equity events (wants to make sure there is an advisor from another school) Purpose would be to foster collaboration between health schools at UNC Mainly talked about funding hurdles (student groups being co-sponsors or student groups having representatives for the committee) In the future Still planning to have a meeting with Dr. Godley (UNC SOM Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion) about SOM involvement Group is still trying to decide whether the panel will be a part of the committee or if it should be given to a student group (ex. SNMA) Have also talked with the Equity Collective about a Gillings-SOM alliance