It seems as if it was just yesterday that we were ringing in 2024! Since our last issue, we celebrated Eid al-Fitr, Holi, Easter, and Passover to name a few. Also, we have paid homage to Arab-American individuals in April, Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities in May and those who identify as LGBQTIA+ in June. This enCOMPASS issue highlights the June celebrations of Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Immigrant Heritage Month. Dr. Brenda Boatswain shares her story as an immigrant from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. As the grandchild of a Bajan woman who came by boat and disembarked at Ellis Island, I too, am proud of my Caribbean/immigrant roots.
Dr. Alyson Myers in Christ Church Barbados
The Caribbean encompasses islands surrounded by the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas. It also often includes the only English-speaking country in South America—Guyana, as well as some countries in Central America such as Panama and Belize. Caribbean people represent a mélange of Africa, Asia, and Europe as well as those who were indigenous to North America. Numerous languages are spoken (other than English) including Patois, Creole, French, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento. Our department has members and trainees who were born in or have family throughout the Caribbean including Jamaica, the United States Virgin Islands, Guyana, Trinidad, Saint Vincent, Barbados, Grenada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. You can find a taste of the celebration every Labor Day on Eastern Parkway for the Annual West Indian Day Parade, every June at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, in August at the Dominican Day Parade or up in Toronto at Caribana.
A mural of the salsa greats including Ismael Rivera, Hector Lavoe, and Frankie Ruiz in Pinones, PR.
In April, I traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with leadership from three of its four LCME-accredited medical schools: University of Puerto Rico, San Juan Bautista, and Universidad Central del Caribe. Dr. Arelis Febles, interim associate dean of Graduate Medical Education at the University of Puerto Rico, requested a talk on microaggressions, so I gave a talk entitled “Microaggressions in Medicine: Tales from the Mainland.” It generated a great discussion on the topic of colorism, as well as differences in how we see race in America as opposed to how it’s viewed in Puerto Rico. At San Juan Bautista, I met with Dr. Manuel Perez Pabon, medicine clerkship director, along with his third-year students. We discussed medical cases and how medical training has changed based on recent SCOTUS rulings. At Universidad Central del Caribe, we discussed the barriers to diabetes care and how we can work together to overcome them.
Back here in the Bronx, I have continued DEI tours at divisional meetings or in person. It has been great to meet and interact with so many across our department. Pay equity has been an important focus for the leadership team. To see your division’s compensation plan, you can simply reach out to your divisional administrator. The deadline for 2025 promotions has already passed but you can speak with your division chief to see if you are eligible next year. The medical school has also added a DEI minor leg so make sure to review the updated requirements!
With Caryn Weiss, NP, and Justin Toro, LCSW, at the Oval Center.
In April, I had the pleasure of going to the Oval Center where I met with Justin Toro, LCSW, Caryn Weiss, NP, and Julian Torres-Isasiga, MD. The Oval Center provides HIV and STI services, and has become the site for the TransWellness Centers at Montefiore (which we featured in June 2023). I also had the pleasure of running into Justin and the Oval Center team, including Steve Roa and Dr. Michelle Collins-Ogle, at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis–sponsored AIDS Walk New York on May 19 in Central Park, which raised nearly two million dollars for AIDS research.
On April 4, Dr. Tonya Fancher from UC Davis gave a great talk for our biannual DEI grand rounds. “Creating a Diverse and Well-Distributed Physician Workforce Post-SCOTUS” highlighted the need for diversity. She began by telling her lived experience as the daughter of a Korean immigrant mother and an American military father. She shared pearls on how to recruit and retain faculty who are underrepresented in medicine. In the fall, Bronx River Alliance will present on how environmental racism impacts health outcomes in the Bronx. On May 16 we had our yearly educational Grand Rounds with Dr. Mark Henderson who is also from UC Davis. He spoke about microteaching. Beforehand he met with leadership from the DOM and the medical school to discuss his efforts in recruiting diverse students to their medical school. In fact, over 50 percent of the medical students at UC Davis identify as underrepresented in medicine. We were able to chat with him about this for this issue of enCOMPASS.
Team Montefiore at the NYC AIDS Walk 2024.
The DOM continues to sponsor DEI training for leadership twice yearly. Our spring session on May 20 addressed working with low socio-economic status populations, led by Dr. Kirstin Davis-Coelho, who shared her own personal experience of growing up in a middle-class neighborhood but not being in that tax bracket. She provided tips on how we can try to empathize with patients who may be struggling economically. She recently published the book The Best Care for Those with the Least: An Empowering Guide to Bridge the Socioeconomic Gap in Medical Care. In the fall we will have a session on LGBTQIA+ health from Dr. Chris Awwad, medical director of the LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Center at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.
On Tuesday, June 18, we will have our DEI Open House featuring guest speaker Dr. Mauvareen Beverly, an expert in patient engagement and cultural competence.
Dr. Beverly notes that there are disparities in communication styles with certain patients, for example the use of terms like adherence rather than compliance, and the need to ask why people are non-adherent to their treatment plan. The Bronx County Medical Society gave her the Excellence in Medicine Award in 2021. All members of the department are invited to attend in-person or online, RSVP here:
Over the summer, we will host several local student community groups to increase their awareness about Montefiore Einstein as well as opportunities in health care. On Friday, July 19, students from Rocking the Boat will be meeting with myself, Albert Einstein College of Medicine leadership, members of the Society for the Advancement of Chicano/Hispanic Native American Students (SACNAS) and the Black Student Union (BSU), as well as visiting the labs of Drs. Yaron Tomer and Meredith Hawkins (endocrinology), Wei Chen (nephrology), and Dario Riascos Bernal (cardiology). The following week we will host high school students from Bronx River Alliance. They will learn about the impact of air pollution on lung function from Dr. Chirag Shah (pulmonary). Lastly, we will have our second annual visiting medical student elective during Block 7 (July 29-August 25): K619 Navigating Care for Marginalized Patients, Populations, & Providers. We have received interest from a diverse group of students from here in New York, as well as nationwide and Puerto Rico.
Until we connect again in October. Enjoy your summer!
Dr. M
Posted on: Thursday, June 13, 2024