UTHSC Diversity Matters March-April 2018

DIVERSITY MATTERS

MARCH - APRIL 2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Dr. Will Ross Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Religious Holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 UTHSC Black History Month. . . . . . . . 3 Nevertheless, She Persisted . . . . . . . . . 4 New EOD Member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Diversity Certificate Program. . . . . . . 4 Community Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Dr. Will Ross

OFFICE OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY TEAM uthsc.edu/oed/staff Michael Alston, EdD, CCDP/AP Assistant Vice Chancellor

Dustin Fulton, MS Sr. Equity Assurance Administrator

Olivia Ralph, JD Sr. Compliance Consultant

Lauren Rotonda, JD, MBA Sr. Inclusion Strategist

Sophia Mosher, MPA Sr. Administrative Specialist

DR. WILL ROSS SPEAKS ON TOPIC OF SOCIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE AT UTHSC AS PART OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH Written by Jackie Denton, February 23, 2018 Dr. Will Ross spoke to the campus on the topic of health equity as part of Black History Month.

Will Ross, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and associate dean of diversity at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said he chose a career in medicine because of his upbringing in Memphis.

During a presentation at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center on Friday, he shared his experiences of growing up in Memphis in the 1960s in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, the Dixie Homes Housing Project, which was one of the first public housing communities established in the city.

Dr. Ross’s presentation titled, “Looking to the Future: Healing a Community,” was the culmination of the university’s Black History Month observances. His discussion focused on the social and economic barriers faced in health care today by the minority population, as well as what led to his passion as an advocate for health equity.

Throughout his presentation, Dr. Ross shared historical images of the city of Memphis. Images including the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike and Martin Luther King Jr. “These images are not just images I saw across the television screens, I saw these images growing up,” he said.

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/ Section 504/ADA/ADEA/V institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services.

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DIVERSITY MATTERS

MARCH - APRIL 2018

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

Dr. Ross shared an experience from his childhood that made him want to become a doctor. His sister, who was just 6 years old at the time, was having trouble breathing. With no adult to help, he and his other sister walked her to the nearest hospital, John Gaston Hospital, where Regional One Hospital sits today, to receive treatment. He said they were ignored, but after standing their ground, eventually received assistance.

March. 1:

Purim * – Jewish

March 2-20: Nineteen Day Fast * – Baha'i March 3:

Holi ** – Hindu

March 17:

St. Patrick's Day – Christian

March 18:

New Year ** – Hindu

March 21:

Equinox

Naw-Rúz (New Year) * – Baha'i

He has been successful in his vision, establishing the Saturday Neighborhood Health Clinic for uninsured patients in St. Louis, as well as health care programs in Ethiopia and South Africa. He has also brought a focus on social disparities in health care into his curriculum, taking students outside the clinical settings, and into underserved neighborhoods in St. Louis.

stara – Mabon * – Wicca/Pagan O Northern and Southern hemispheres

March 25:

Palm Sunday – Christian

March 26:

Ramanavami ** – Hindu

He gave a charge to UTHSC to take students out of the classrooms and expose them to the community. Taking them into areas, communities and neighborhoods with limited resources.

March 29:

Maundy Thursday – Christian

March 30:

Good Friday – Christian

March 31 April 7:

Pesach * (Jewish)

March 31:

Hanuman Jayanti ** – Hindu

“My values are to deliver culturally competent care.

At the time I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew I wanted to be treated with respect and dignity,” Dr. Ross said. “Growing up, I thought if I ever have an opportunity to become a doctor, I’m going to set a standard. Everyone who walks into my office is going to be treated with respect and I’m going to do everything in my power to create a forum, a curriculum to allow all students in this country to train and to understand the importance of delivering culturally competent health care.”

“This has to be delivered in a much more holistic manner,” Dr. Ross said. “It has to be attentive to how students learn.

Our students learn by thinking it through, by doing it, by having experiential activities.”

His presentation was timely, since UTHSC recently identified the topic of social determinants of health as the focus of its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The multi-year commitment will integrate the topic of social determinants of health into the curriculum, enhancing training. Outcomes of the QEP have the potential for not only transforming UTHSC’s academic programs and student learning, but the health care of the communities our graduates will serve.

Lord's Evening Meal – Jehovah's Witness Christian Magha Puja Day ** – Buddhist

Social factors greatly impact health. Dr. Ross said the clinical setting contributes an estimated 10 percent to the health of an individual, while other factors including available transportation, employment, access to affordable meals and produce, and education, account for the remaining 90 percent. These social determinants of health drive not only our individual health, but the health of our community as a whole.

He closed his presentation by saying, “When we leverage our skillsets to drive a change, that’s inclusion and that’s powerful,” he said. “We need to have allies. There’s not enough of us to do this alone. We need to do this together.

There are not enough black people, or white people, or Latinos to make the change, but there are enough Americans to make the changes happen.”

April 1:

Easter - Christian

April 12:

Yom HaShoah * – Jewish

April 13:

Lailat al Miraj * – Islam

April 14:

Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) – Sikh

April 21 May 2:

Ridvan * – Baha'i

April 30 May 2:

Theravadin New Year – Buddhist

* Holy days usually begin at sundown the day before this date. ** Local or regional customs may use a variation of this date.

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Pam Houston (left), Dr. Altha Stewart (middle), Dustin Fulton (right)

UTHSC CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH Each year, institutions around the country commemorate Black History Month. In Memphis, this year is special, as we also commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy on the fiftieth anniversary of his assassination. To kick off UTHSC’s celebration, the Office of Equity and Diversity and the Office of Special Events featured Dr. Altha Stewart, associate professor of psychiatry, director of the Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth, and president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), in a lecture entitled MLK50: Renewing a Spirit of Empowerment. Dr. Stewart discussed juvenile justice in the African American community, the pathway for success, and how Dr. King inspired her journey to medicine.

Later in the month, UTHSC hosted its annual Taste of Soul event, featuring soul food from Southern Hands. This event celebrates African American culinary history, offering everyone a chance to taste some quintessential soul food dishes and to learn a bit more about the history behind their development.

Tying in healthcare, UTHSC hosted a panel discussion called Bridging Barriers, highlighting the Women’s Physician Group of Memphis, UTHSC’s Dr. Kimberly Williams Collins, counseling psychologist in University Health Services, and Karen Todd, a local empowerment coach. The panel discussed mental and physical healthcare matters related to the African American community, with special focus on women’s healthcare from the Women’s Physician Group.

The final event featured Dr. Will Ross, professor of medicine and associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who gave an inspiring lecture to faculty, staff, and students about social determinants of health in the event titled, Looking to the Future: Healing a Community. Later that day, Dr. Ross participated in a podcast interview with Dr. Lori Gonzalez and Dustin Fulton about Social Disparities in Health Care.

The interview is available at youtu.be/6ac31eMwKXY.

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DIVERSITY MATTERS

MARCH - APRIL 2018

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH JEOPARDY GAME! Please join the Women's Resource Group and Office of Equity and Diversity for a Women's History Month Jeopardy Game! The 2018 Women's Month theme is "Nevertheless, She Persisted."

Wednesday, March 28 1:30 – 3:00 pm SAC 305

NEW OED TEAM MEMBER

Tami Sawyer

Olivia Ralph serves as the senior compliance consultant within the Office of Equity and Diversity. She joined UTHSC in March 2018. Previously, Olivia worked in human resource management for a local company and in local municipal administration.

NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED: HONORING WOMEN WHO FIGHT ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN Local activist Tami Sawyer visited UTHSC on March 6, 2018, to kick off Women’s History Month festivities at UTHSC with an inspiring speech. She highlighted historical women whose persistence led them to overcome barriers and fight for equality.

In particular, she referenced the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting rights, women’s rights, and civil rights activist who endured extortion, harassment, assault, and other violence, but made an incredible difference in the fight for voting rights for African Americans, and political equality for women. Tami also referenced the groundbreaking work of Ava DuVernay, specifically her recent work on A Wrinkle In Time, and encouraged everyone present to “wrinkle time” just a bit, to create a not-so-distant future of equality and equity.

As the senior compliance consultant, Olivia assists in the overall management of institutional compliance covering faculty, staff, students, medical residents and post docs in the secondary role of civil rights investigator, Title IX investigator, deputy EEO coordinator, and diversity and inclusion presenter.

She collaborates with University offices, governmental agencies, and advocacy groups to inform decision-making and ensure University compliance with state and federal mandates.

Olivia is a native of Memphis. She attended the University of Memphis where she received a BA in philosophy and also earned a Juris Doctor.

Olivia Ralph, JD Sr. Compliance Consultant oralph@uthsc.edu

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MARCH – APRIL 2018

COMMUNITY EVENTS FLAMENCO VIVO CARLOTA SANTANA Sunday, March 25 at 7:00 pm Live music, sizzling duets, and festive ensembles are examples of what is in store from the nation’s premier Spanish dance company.

Emotionally charged performances engross the audience in this bewitching Spanish art form steeped in romance, tradition, and storytelling.

For more information, visit stmarysschool.org/the-buckman

MLK50 SYMPOSIUM: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? April 2-3, 2018 A Symposium and Luncheon featuring the Honorable Eric Holder and Taylor Branch that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death, hosted by the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and the National Civil Rights Museum.

For more information, visit mlk50.civilrightsmuseum.org/mlk50-where-do-we-go-from-here-symposium

50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION – A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Tuesday, April 4 at 6:01 pm “Ecumenical presentations, national and international dignitaries, ceremonial wreath laying, tributes and performances culminating in a symbolic moment of silence at 6:01pm — the time Dr. King was shot while on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.”

For more information, visit mlk50.civilrightsmuseum.org/50th-anniversary-commemoration

DIVERSITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM: JUNE 2018 KNOXVILLE SUMMER SESSION The Office of Equity and Diversity is bringing the Diversity Certificate Program (DCP) to Knoxville. UTHSC faculty and staff in Knoxville and Chattanooga will have the opportunity to apply to participate in a 3-day DCP session held on Knoxville’s campus. Core courses will be covered in full-day sessions June 5-6, 2018, with the final three “elective” courses to follow on Tuesday, June 19. Applications will open in early April.

For more information about the certificate program, visit uthsc.edu/oed/diversity-certificate-program.php.

For more information, please contact: Office of Equity and Diversity | 920 Madison Avenue | Suite 825 phone 901.448.2112 | fax 901.448.1120

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