AMWA Diversity Dialogues

Dr. David Adamson talks about disparities in access to fertility and reproductive healthcare and the various communities and groups that are affected. There is work to be done in clinical research and policy making to bridge the gap.

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Dr. John Artis, Chiropractor and active community member, shares his philosophy on health; how he engages his patients in building healthy lifestyles and healing their bodies using Functional Medicine practices and fostering a sense of self-empowerment and autonomy.

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Dr. Neelum Aggarwal sits down with Dr. Diane C. Gooding to talk about her current research assessing biomarkers as it relates to mental health conditions, specifically Schizophrenia and Alzheimers. 

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Dima Elissa, AMWA's Tech and Innovation Lead, brings on Dr. Ashlesha Patel, OB/GYN, Founder and Innovator of RepLi and Smart HERO Product Line. Here how this DocPreneur balances her profession while forging her way in the tech world. 

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Dr. Mauvareen Beverley, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, is joined by our Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Neelum Aggarwal. Dr. Beverley discusses her creation of "The Bridge Team", an interdisciplinary task force that focuses on the patient as a human being in order to combat issues of non-compliance, patient satisfaction, and improve overall health outcomes. By improving cultural competency, the medical team can approach the patient in a nonjudgemental way. 

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Nelly Vazquez Rowland from A Safe Haven in Chicago IL, talks about homelessness in the community and how her organization is making innovative impacts on this social and healthcare issue. Their unique model integrates all aspects of a person's life and aims to equip those they serve with the necessary tools for sustainability. 

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Dr. Megan Gilligan shares her current study on family dynamics as it relates to the care of those with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia, with Dr. Neelum Aggarwal and our host Dr. Chyanne Brown. 

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 The conversation about dementia and brain health can be a difficult one in different communities. BrainGuide by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is a first-of-its-kind platform that empowers people with knowledge and resources to take the best next steps in managing their own or a loved one’s brain health. Brooks Kenny speaks with Dr. Neelum Aggarwal and host Dr. Chyanne Brown about the BrainGuide's success in the year since its creation.

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Brooke Hartenstein, MD candidate 2024 has created a virtual educational advocacy series that highlights chronic conditions disproportionately affecting women and conditions with under-discussed gender disparities. Learn more about the work being done and how you can get involved on this episode. Dr. Aggarwal is back to facilitate the conversation. 

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In the first official installment of our collaboration series with Race.Culture.OBGYN, we talk with Dr. Rachel Bervell, who shares from personal experience on some of the eight engagement inclusions from the AAMC survey and how they have played out in her medical career this far. Dr. Shilpa Darivemula and Dr. Anusha Venkatesh join our host Dr. Chyanne Brown to facilitate the conversation. 

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Instagram: theblackobgynproject

Dr. Jill Wener, introduced the AMWA JEDI Council to the Emotional Freedom Technique aka Tapping, in one of our monthly meetings. On this episode she expands on the topic as well as the subject of Conscious Anti-Racism, where she continues to work, grow and help others navigate. 

On this episode, Dr. Shilpa Darivemula, a chief OBGYN resident at Dartmouth and Dr. Anusha Venkatesh, a recent medical graduate from Kasturba Medical College, India, introduce this new mini series, brought to you in collaboration with Race.Culture.OBGYN.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released a research report titled: Measuring Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Medicine: The Diversity Engagement Survey. Based on this report, the Diversity Engagement Survey (DES) is subdivided into eight engagement inclusion factors which formed the framework for developing DES. This series will explore the intricacies of these factors and what they mean to physicians, patients, and individuals. Join us in the upcoming episodes, as we talk to individuals in sexual and reproductive health that are doing impactful work in medicine, law, and public policy. The goal of this series is to initiate organic conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, culture, and other factors that can result in tangible change for the future of healthcare and society.

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Dr. Lealani Mae Acosta, Assistant Professor of Neurology, discusses how creative expression has had a positive impact on her mental well-being as a physician. 

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Dr. Jessica Kremen, Pediatric Endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital, shares about her work with transgender children and adolescents. With so many recent legislations directed at transgender youth, how do we navigate separating politics from patient and family autonomy?

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Dr. Allison Empey, General Pediatrician and citizen of the Confederated Tribes Of Grand Ronde, shares with us her first hand knowledge of the disparities of health within Native American communities and how this has led to distrust in healthcare as a whole. Innovations and representation are playing an important role in the efforts to bridge these gaps and create a pathway for better outcomes. 

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We continue our conversation with Emily Phelps, joined by Johanna Balas who has expanded on the project by including CNAs who interact with patients with dementia on a more consistent basis. The experience and insight gained has shown them how important this work is and how much more there is to be done. 

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With the recent events in Atlanta on the forefronts of our minds, Dr. Yuemei Zhang, Anesthesia Resident at University of Washington - Seattle, talks with us about her personal experience with increasing racially charged violence aimed at Asians and Pacific Islanders. There is a history of violence based in stereotypical ideology that needs to be addressed and erased, but awareness is the first step. 

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Rural Health issues span so many domains and there are so many definitions that have been assigned. Dr. Sameer Vohra joins the conversation highlighting the impact of differing cultural backgrounds on the specific needs of certain communities. Dr. Vidhya Prakash is back to enhance the conversation with her experience in the field. 

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Emily Phelps, student leader, is here to discuss how she used Virtual Reality technology to create programing for students to understand Dementia and analyze their own implicit biases. With the help of Embodied Labs, the program continues to develop in ways that have furthered understanding and knowledge around Dementia and its unique experiences for patients. Dr. Neelum Aggarwal facilitates the conversation about the program and the various health disparities highlighted. 

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Meet Alexandra Alondra Alvarez and Anna Vardapetyan, student leadership of AMWA's Pre-Med Student Division. If you needed some additional inspiration to pursue your passions or refuel your drive, these future physicians have enough enthusiasm and motivation to go around. Here about what the division is doing to make a difference in their own way. 

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Dr. Laurel Waters, President- Elect of AMWA, discusses with Dr. Patricia Robertson the issues faced by the LGBTQ community surrounding reproductive health and their rights. 

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Dr. Ana Maria Lopez and Dr. Nathalie Johnson discuss their experience in breast health, biases, disparities and social determinants that affect how minority women are screened, diagnosed and treated. 

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