Physician-Scientist. Tillman Scholar. Health Disparities Advocate. Fortune 500 Keynote Speaker. Community Cultivator. ChangeMaker.
“People often underestimate how much culture plays a role in the perception of healthcare, especially for marginalized communities.” This underestimation often stems from a lack of historical knowledge about the origins of these communities. Understanding cultural backgrounds is not just an add-on; it’s crucial for effective healthcare delivery. In my practice, I see firsthand how deeply culture is infused into every aspect of my patients’ lives. This cultural context shapes their healthcare experiences profoundly. By acknowledging and respecting this, we can build stronger patient-provider relationships, foster trust, and ultimately improve health outcomes. Cultural competence isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must. We must prioritize understanding our patients’ diverse backgrounds to provide the best care possible. This approach is essential for bridging health disparities and ensuring all patients receive the quality care they deserve. Let’s continue to educate ourselves and respect the cultural contexts of those we serve. Together, we can make a significant impact on health equity. Sweatshirt may be purchased to support The 15 White Coats at www.15WC.org #CulturalCompetence #HealthEquity #BlackMenInMedicine #PatientCare #HealthcareOutcomes #DiversityInHealthcare
My sister will be matching in march and graduating in may! Would love to get her this sweatshirt. Can you tell us where you got it from?
I am working on my PhD in Leadership Studies. A different kind of doctor. My specific focus is on the role of Patient Leaders (Patient Partners, Patient Advocates) role in healthcare transformation. I would love to buy a sweatshirt (already checked your site) though unsure which one is appropriate.
I need that sweatshirt!
Where can I purchase that sweater? Love it!
Nate Baker
4w
Shirt tough!
I LOVE the sweater! I have a BS in Anthropology and I just completed my MBA with UCR. I am interested and highly invested in diversity efforts and equity measures, hence me following people such as yourself. I just wanted to introduce myself and thank you for working hard to brighten the world during a time of so much bald outrage and political turmoil. I am particulalry invested in the preservation and exploration of culture and social well-being. Please let me know how I can support your work and the Black Community(ies) involved. I am currently woefully lacking in liquidity so I would have to be volunteering time, networking, or work instead of direct donations, unfortunately. Either way, keep it up and happy (massively) belated Juneteenth, everyone! I briefly did CRM for an NIH covid-addressing measure called CEAL where we worked with leaders within the Cahuilla community to help reduce treatment disparity during the height of the pandemic. The project was short but I was a writer and heavily invested in the dialogues with the tribe elders. So, yes. I am always open to do volunteer work for worthy causes. I also can use my writing, if it is something you could make use of.
Black people were the world’s first doctors. In Dr. Theophile Obenga’s text, Ancient Egypt & Black Africa,” it reads: “The fact that in the Kemetan context philosophy, according to Obenga, was a vocation consisting of a knowledge of all the sciences: mathematics, physics, astronomy, medicine, etc., and that this did not appear in Greece until Thales in the seventh century and Pythagoras in the sixth, when these subjects were already rigidly taught on the Kemetan temples in deep antiquity” (Obenga, 1992, p. 20). “In fact, Isocrates (436 - 338 BC), designated Egypt as the cradle of medicine for the well-being of the boys, and of philosophy for the well-being of the soul: ‘For the souls they [the Egyptian priests] revealed the practice of philosophy…which can, at the same time, set down rules and look for the nature of things’ (Isocrates, Busiris, XI, 22) (Obenga, 1992, p. 55). In summary, his shirt harkens back to who Black people were in ancient Kemet (Egypt). Kemet means the Black Country. Reference: Obenga, T. (1992). Ancient Egypt & Black Africa: A student’s handbook for the study of ancient Egypt in philosophy, linguistics and gender relations. (A.S. Saakana & G. Pitchford, Eds.). (A. Sheikh, Trans.). Karnak House.
Excellent work and you are 100 percent correct, as healthcare leaders we must be culturally intelligent and sensitive to the needs of our diverse patients, this also applies to the teams we lead. As Americans it should be part of our DNA as a multi-cultural society and impacts everything we do from healthcare to social welfare of communities- it matters and thank you for doing your part to make our society better. Diversity with unity is our greatest strength if we understand its power and impact on future generations.
I remember seeing your video on Instagram and not completely understanding why it was so important for there to be black representation in the healthcare field. Even though I was black and wanted to be a doctor, I was still ignorant to it all. That wasn't until I started working as a patient care technician in a major hospital. At the time I was planning to go to medical school myself so I was shadowing different doctors. Three of them were white and one of them black. They were all great doctors. With the black doctor, as we rounded on patients in the ER, he seemed to show more personality toward his patients, putting them and the families at ease. It seemed so effortless and me being black myself I also felt at ease and was able to focus on learning about the patients. Representation and cultural competence not just important for the patients in the hospital, but it contributes to the culture of the staff of the hospital itself. I'm not an expert in anyway as I'm just starting out my career journey but I do know that having black people predominantly white spaces sends out waves of good, positive change in unexpected and important ways. Thank you for what you do!
Physician-Scientist. Tillman Scholar. Health Disparities Advocate. Fortune 500 Keynote Speaker. Community Cultivator. ChangeMaker.
4wSweatshirt may be purchased to support The 15 White Coats at www.15WC.org