Sharing successes, challenges and daily happenings in the Department of Medicine
On Monday, May 9 the Maryland Hospital Association announced that Maryland is the first state with 100 percent participation in the national effort to reduce disparities in the health of minority populations. Through the Equity of Care campaign, participating hospitals agree to: Choose a quality measure to stratify by race, ethnicity and language preference Determine whether(...)
“This month marks the first anniversary of the tragic death of Freddie Gray and the unrest that followed. It was a moment that exposed gaping disparities within this city while bringing many of us together in common cause. As we approach this somber anniversary, we want to express our profound appreciation for the efforts you(...)
In the Science of Health section of the March issue of Scientific American, Sir Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity at University College London, describes "The Disease of Poverty." He highlights the following important points: Poor health outcomes in low income individuals in the US are more prevalent than in low income(...)
This week marks the end of my first year as your inaugural Executive Vice Chair. It has been and continues to be a phenomenal experience to serve the faculty and staff of our great Department of Medicine. I am extremely grateful to all of you for your support and encouragement during the past 12 months(...)
The December 2015 issue of PLOS Medicine featured a policy forum entitled "Diversity in Clinical and Biomedical Research: A Promise Yet to Be Fulfilled." This provocative article reminds us that health disparities persist across race/ethnicity for the majority of Healthy People 2010 health indicators and that most physicians and scientists are informed by research extrapolated from(...)
In order to care for a more racially diverse U.S. population, it is critical to have a physician workforce that reflects that diversity. In the December 1 issues of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a Medical News and Perspectives piece highlights the decline in the number of black males enrolling in medical school in(...)
Quality improvement strategies can target several areas—health systems (case management, team changes, electronic patient registry, facilitated relay of information to clinicians, continuous QI), health-care providers (audit and feedback, clinician education, clinician reminders, financial incentives) or patients (patient education, promotion of self-management, reminder systems). A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in Diabetes Care in 2013(...)
Johns Hopkins Medicine is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Awards, which recognize outstanding commitments to volunteer community service by members of Johns Hopkins. All faculty, staff, trainees, employees, graduate students and retirees are eligible to be nominated to receive this award. Awards will be(...)
I am pleased to introduce the new "Our Journey in Medicine Continues" blog feature. We generated excellent discussion and many great ideas during our 5-part Journeys in Medicine series this past summer. Even though the riots have ended, the issues in our community leading to the riots persist. This blog feature is one of many(...)
It is with great satisfaction and immense gratitude that I take this opportunity to summarize my first year in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. This was a year of many events both good and arresting. It did not fail to disappoint in providing exciting opportunities, unexpected challenges and many twists and turns.(...)