Speaker
Mala Mathur
Director of Professional Development in the Department of Pediatrics
Mala Mathur, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., is a general pediatrician in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She serves as the director of professional development in the Department of Pediatrics, where she helps to develop and support innovative professional development initiatives such as Health Equity Rounds. Her professional interests include quality improvement, advocacy and integrative health. Dr. Mathur is passionate about promoting health equity and supporting the well-being of children and families.
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.