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Advancing DEI at KU School of Medicine-Wichita

A survey was sent to gather feedback from KU School of Medicine-Wichita departments about work currently in progress by members of our campus community that is intended to help reduce health inequities or that could be described as a social justice initiative. To raise awareness about this important work, we have invited the people who are leading these initiatives to tell us about their projects through a series of virtual noon events. The series is called “Advancing DEI at KUSM-W.”

A survey was sent to gather feedback from KU School of Medicine-Wichita departments about work currently in progress by members of our campus community that is intended to help reduce health inequities or that could be described as a social justice initiative. Results are in! To raise awareness about this important work, we have invited the people who are leading these initiatives to tell us about their projects through a series of virtual noon events. The series is called "Advancing DEI at KUSM-W."

Several speakers are lined up, and sessions are intended to be brief but informative. Bring your lunch, ask questions and we will enjoy a great learning experience together. Additional sessions are being planned, so watch for more offerings throughout the year.

If you have questions or comments, contact Julie Galliart, Ed.D., associate dean, Faculty Affairs & Development, and assistant professor, Pediatrics, at jgalliart@kumc.edu.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: eDECIDE Program
Thursday, Feb. 25
Noon-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
We welcome Michelle Redmond, Ph.D., M.S., assistant professor, Population Health. Dr. Redmond is leading a pilot clinical trial on novel technology tailored to African Americans with uncontrolled diabetes (Type 2). The RCT uses a web-based program, eDECIDE, to deliver problem-solving skills to manage Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Redmond will tell us a bit about the disparities in Kansas that led to her eDECIDE project and explain any opportunities for interested students or other members of the KUSM-W community to help in the future.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: Implicit bias in auscultation of blood pressure
Thursday, March 11
Noon-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
We welcome Robert Badgett, M.D., professor, Internal Medicine. Dr. Badgett helped resident Joshua Beyer, D.O., obtain a Dean's grant and conduct a study to determine whether the race of a patient affects the numbers medical providers record when we auscultate their blood pressure. Dr. Badgett will share how the need for this study was identified, how the study was conducted, results of the study and his ideas for future research related to implicit bias in medicine.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: eMOMS Program
Thursday, March 18
Noon-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
We welcome Lisette Jacobson, Ph.D., MPA, M.A., assistant professor, Population Health. eMOMS (electronic Monitoring Of Mom's Schedule) is a pilot program designed to help women lose weight postpartum, improve their blood sugars and blood pressure, and increase duration of breastfeeding their infant. Participants will have access to a certified Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle coach who will follow up with them weekly during and after pregnancy. Using Facebook, mothers will watch evidence-based 10-15 minute educational videos on nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding during and after pregnancy. Dr. Jacobson will tell us a bit about the disparities in Kansas that led to her eMOMS project and explain any opportunities for interested students or other members of the KUSM-W community to help in the future.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: WorkWell Kansas and RADx Up
Thursday, April 8
Noon-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
We welcome Elizabeth Ablah, Ph.D., MPH, professor, Population Health. WorkWell Kansas provides training, materials and technical assistance to worksites. Dr. Ablah will tell us a bit about the disparities in Kansas that led to her WorkWell Kansas project and explain any opportunities for interested students or other members of the KUSM-W community to help in the future. Dr. Ablah also serves as the Wichita Co-I on RADx UP, which is a two-year grant designed to improve access to COVID-19 testing in 10 counties across Kansas. She'll tell us a bit about COVID-related disparities in the counties served by this program and explain how the program responds to these needs.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: Pediatric Partnerships in Maternal and Infant Health
Thursday, April 15
Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
Cari Schmidt, Ph.D. research professor, Pediatrics, will share work she and her team are doing through community collaborations, including Baby Talk, Safe Sleep Community Baby Showers and Project Imprint. Baby Talk is a community collaborative prenatal education program funded by KDHE. The program provides free prenatal education for low income pregnant women and their support people. Safe Sleep Community Baby Showers were developed by the Wichita Black Nurses Association and the Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network. These grassroots events provide education and resources related to safe sleep, tobacco cessation and breastfeeding. Project Imprint is a community initiative led by Sedgwick County Health Department involving multiple disciplines, organizations (including KUSM-W) and individuals seeking answers as to why infants are dying in Sedgwick County. Based on data review and interviews with parents who have experienced a loss, Project Imprint makes recommendations that may result in increased knowledge about the issue, changes to service delivery and policy change. The ultimate goal of all these programs is to reduce infant mortality. Dr. Schmidt will tell us about the disparities in Kansas that led to these projects and explain any opportunities for interested students or others members of the KUSM-W community to help with this work in the future.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: JayDoc & Guadalupe Clinics
Thursday, April 22
Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
The JayDoc Community Clinic is an outstanding example of work led by KUSM-W students that promotes health equity. Our students' work through JayDoc is accomplished through a longstanding partnership with Guadalupe Clinic, another local champion of the underserved in health. In this session we will learn more about the work of both clinics, their partnership and the patients they serve. Speakers include medical students Julia Hemman and Candice Metzinger, supervising physician Lisa Gilbert, M.D., from the Department of Family & Community Medicine, and J.V. Johnston, executive director of Guadalupe Clinic. Speakers will tell us about the disparities in Wichita that led to the formation of these clinics and explain opportunities for interested students or other members of the KUSM-W community to volunteer or support their missions.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: Celebrate Day 366
Thursday, April 29
Noon-12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
Welcome Michelle Redmond, Ph.D., M.S., assistant professor, Population Health, and Sharla Smith Ph.D., MPH., assistant professor, Population Health. Drs. Redmond and Smith organize a yearly event, Celebrate Day 366, with the goal of reducing infant mortality among Black families through education and collaboration. Drs. Redmond and Smith will tell us a bit about the disparities in Kansas that led to the start of this project, discuss how the project initially rolled out and how it has grown, and explain any opportunities for interested students or other members of the KUSM-W community to help in the future.

Advancing DEI at KUSM-W: Student food insecurity and resources
Thursday, May 20
12:15-12:45 p.m. via Zoom
Register through the KUSM-W Events Calendar to receive the Zoom appointment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Occasionally, students in health professions struggle with food insecurity and their struggle may not be mentioned or observed. As a preventive measure, several KU School of Medicine-Wichita and KU School of Pharmacy-Wichita students have been collaborating on a resource for Wichita students by identifying local resources, accessible by students, that can be a help to those who need it. Join the students to learn more about the problem of food insecurity among students in health professions, and to hear about the resource they have created. Thank you to the following students for their work on this project: Guadalupe Fraire (SoP); Kendall Anaya (SoP); Kakra Boye-Doe (SoM); Aquib Jamil (SoM); Brittany White-Dold (SoM); and Jessica Emoto (SoM).


KU School of Medicine-Wichita