Health Equity

This award goes to a physician who has made meaningful change to overcome the social determinants of health in gastroenterology. The awardee is seen as a model of how identifying and addressing social determinants of health can better patient care.

Osagie Ebekozien, MD, MPH, CPHQ, was working in Boston’s public health department in 2015 when his wife was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Healthline Media recently announced the launch of its Conscious Language Guide, a tool that health care professionals can use to communicate with patients in a more “empathetic and non-stigmatizing” way, according to the organization.

Johnson & Johnson Vision announced it is collaborating with Black EyeCare Perspective to grow the percentage of Black people in the eye care industry to 13% to mirror the number of Blacks in the U.S. population.

Although female representation in the workforce increased from 11% in 2007 to 18.9% in 2019, the proportion of women in senior leadership positions remained lower compared with men.

This month’s cover story celebrates the changing landscape of the practice of gastroenterology and highlights many of the exceptional voices spearheading this charge. The article makes a powerful case that a diverse workforce will improve patient care, provide role models for the next generation of professionals in gastroenterology and result in greater physician retention in the field. These benefits of increased diversity are not lost on me as I embark on my new position as director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Endoscopic Research and Therapeutics (CERT), one of the few independent units for advanced endoscopy in the country.

In spring 2020, I entered a new role as Chair of Medicine, learning a new position and campus, and moving a family across the country during a pandemic. As a physician, woman, spouse and mother, I have learned so much about what we need from leaders and what we need to do as leaders.

While 2020 brought diversity to the forefront of many physicians’ minds, 2021 brought about more concrete action.

KidneyX, a public-private partnership forged by HHS and the American Society of Nephrology, is uniquely poised to spur change in kidney care, Rachel L. Levine, MD, said.

The 2021 KidneyX Summit – held virtually again this year – serves as a celebration of innovation in kidney failure treatments, while also presenting attendees with an opportunity to recommit to health equity, according to a speaker.