April is National Minority Health Month. The observance dates back to 1915, inspired by Booker T. Washington, and gained support from Congress in 2002, but the need for it has only been amplified by a year-long pandemic that has disproportionally affected minority populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to […]
Director’s Reflections
Director’s Reflections: One Year with COVID-19
Posted by | Administration, Education, Leadership, Patient Care, ResearchTwo weeks ago marked the anniversary of our first COVID-19 patient at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. About a year ago, we began to ‘COVIDify’ our inpatient units, we sent our workforce home to work, and embarked on an unprecedented reorganization of our clinical, research and educational missions. Our clinicians, researchers, administration and staff quickly rose […]
Director’s Reflections: Black History Month
Posted by | Civic EngagementFebruary is National Black History Month. Coming off a year marked by a greater awareness of structural racism in essentially all societal domains—even our schools and hospitals—Black History Month is more important than ever. Black History Month began in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson proposed celebrating as a means to recognize the tremendous contributions […]
Director’s Reflections: Medicine for the Greater Good
Posted by | Administration, Civic EngagementIf anything, the pandemic has shone a light on the inequities that exist in our healthcare system. Research increasingly shows that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In a city like Baltimore, where more than half our population consists of minorities, we have a real opportunity to affect positive change. In fact, […]
Director’s Reflections at the End of 2020
Posted by | Administration, LeadershipThe year 2020 is coming to an end. We have battled historic wildfires, racial injustice, murder hornets, and a global pandemic that shook the world. At a time when it would be easy to brush off a tough year as we face the dawn of a new one, I find myself more grateful than ever. […]
Director’s Reflections at the Beginning of the Academic Year
Posted by | EducationThis academic year already looks a lot different than any other year. We’ve had to find creative solutions to new problems, navigate the unknowns of the near future and work together from a distance. There is one thing that hasn’t changed: our dedication to our learners, faculty and staff. There have been benefits to come […]
Director’s Reflections: LGBTQ Month
Posted by | Administration, LeadershipJune is LGBTQ month. Our department celebrates with pride the many contributions of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer faculty, staff and learners. We miss the opportunity to celebrate in public, with parades and social gatherings; however, this month there is an extra reason for celebration. The Supreme Court of the United States recently […]
Director’s Reflections: Managing Stress During Crisis
Posted by | Administration, Leadership, Patient CareNow that we have been in crisis management mode for about two months it may seem as though we’ve hit our stride in managing the pandemic, but for many, this is the time that the endorphins wear off and the stress hits harder. From a psychological standpoint, this has been called the disillusionment stage. George […]
Director’s Reflections: National Black History Month
Posted by | Administration, Civic EngagementWhat does black history mean for our university, our school and our department? The Johns Hopkins Hospital was founded in 1889 on a then unusual premise that care would be provided “without regard to sex, age or color.” This is a great part of our history, but, in fact, race played major and complex roles in our history to date. Desegregation […]
Director’s Reflections: Discovery Partnerships in Science
Posted by | Administration, ResearchThe role of science is interwoven in all things we do—from training to research to the development of new therapies. It is woven into our DNA as the nation’s first research university. Each year, we celebrate this tradition of discovery with a day dedicated specifically to the projects and passions of our scientists. It is […]