Speaker
Mary Ehlenbach
Associate Professor and Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Department of Pediatrics
Mary Ehlenbach, M.D., is a general pediatrician in the Division of Hospital Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at UW–Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. She serves as the department’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is also the medical director of the Pediatric Complex Care Program at UW Health Kids. Dr. Ehlenbach‘s professional interests include anti-racism/anti-bias policy development and education, as well as improving the health and care experience of children with medical complexity.
Speaking in
Health Equity Rounds: An Opportunity for Clinical and Anti-Racism Learning to Intersect
Healthcare practitioners commonly learn about the social determinants of health, which are the conditions where people live, learn, work and play that affect health risks and outcomes. However, practitioners rarely confront the healthcare system’s role in influencing the social determinants of health, particularly the elements of “social and community context” and “healthcare access and quality.” Healthcare-based institutional racism and other forms of bias contribute to health disparities between races and perpetuate mistrust of the healthcare system by those from historically marginalized groups. Racism and other forms of bias exist outside the healthcare setting, too. This session will outline how the Department of Pediatrics is addressing racism, ableism and other forms of bias in the healthcare environment through Health Equity Rounds. We will also guide participants in thinking of ways to prioritize equity work within their sectors of the university.