Appointments & Promotions – Sept ’20
Clinical Associate Professor(s):
Zoran Nedeljkovic, MD
Assistant Professor(s):
Charlotte Andersson, MD, PhD
Archana Asundi, MD
Samuel Belok, MD
Mara Horwitz, MD
Darae Ko, MD
Ana Warner, MD, MBA
Instructor:
Sumit Pathy, MD, MPH
Karla Talledo Thais, MD
New DOM Promotional Video Released!
A new video explaining just some of the reasons why we are all proud to practice, discover, and learn at Boston Medical Center was recently released.
Appointments & Promotions – July & August ’20
Emeritus:
Elihu Schimmel, MD
Professor(s):
Tamar Barlam, MD
Clinical Associate Professor(s):
David Tuck, MD
Assistant Professor(s):
Monica Ahluwalia, MD
Andrew Berical, MD
Ruben Dries, PhD
Kari Gillmeyer, MD
Elliott Hagedorn, PhD
Darae Ko, MD, MSc
Swetha Ramachandran, MD
Research Assistant Professor(s):
Saravanan Subramaniam, PhD
Instructor(s):
Alyssa Peterkin, MD
Erica Saunders, MD
Lorely Torres, NP
Tram Tran, NP
WordPress Training in September & October
WordPress Training Levels 1 & 2 have been announced for September and October.
WordPress: Level 1 (Introduction)
Learn the basics of WordPress in this introductory course, and the specifics of BU's WordPress installation. You will learn how to log into WordPress and navigate the editing and site-management tools, including adding images and links. You'll work with custom plugins such as the Restrict Access tools and Add A Link. You will learn how to get a site at BU for your department or yourself.
Sections
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Online (Med Campus) room , .
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Register
WordPress: Level 2
This course assumes some basic experience with WordPress, such as IS&T's WordPress Introduction training.
This course introduces higher-level features of WordPress, including several custom plugins unique to BU. Topics covered include collecting data with forms; faculty profiles; section editing for granular control over who can edit what content; and visual and layout design options including slideshows.
Sections
Online (Med Campus) room , .
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Online (Med Campus) room , .
Online (Charles River Campus) room , .
Register
Administration SpotLight: Takiesha Brooks
"Takiesha is a highly valued member of our department. She has served as Administrative Coordinator for Nephrology, Coordinator of the Nephrology fellowship program and as Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine. In all her roles, her diligence, spirit of cooperation and upbeat personality have enabled her to interact effectively with and gain the respect and confidence of colleagues at all levels, including fellows and faculty, as well as administrative, managerial, custodial and maintenance staff. If something needs to be done, Takiesha will figure out a way to get it done.
Job Title:
Executive Assistant to Vice Chair of Research, Active Nephrology Fellowship Coordinator
Location:
650 Albany Street, 8th Floor
How many years have you been at BUSM/BMC?
4 years
What do you do in the Department of Medicine?
Support Dr. David Salant who is the Vice Chair of Research, coordinate meetings, seminars, and host events like Evans Research Days, Dim Sum which celebrates diversity. Support the Nephrology section as their Fellowship Coordinator by scheduling interviews, helping with onboarding and application for medical licenses for the Fellows. I also work as the EBRC Building Coordinator by assisting Facilities and coordinating the work being done in the EBRC building.
What do you like best about your job?
Being able to support such talented providers, researchers and colleagues to provide exceptional care to our patients.
Favorite thing to do outside of work?
Spend time with my 5 year old son and my family.
Little known fact:
I briefly worked at the State House with Representative Ms. Gloria Fox and was able to view their decision to legalize same sex marriages in Massachusetts. I have been in the health care field since 2002 at Children's Hospital then Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2006.
DOM Spotlight: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
In light of the recent events of the Black Lives Movement and most recently BU's Day of Collective Engagement, the Department of Medicine has made great efforts into improving their way of thinking when it comes to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
I "sat down" with Dr. Angelique Harris, Director of Faculty Development and Diversity and asked her some questions about her team which includes Dr. Emelia Benjamin (Vice Chair, Faculty Development and Diversity) and Dr. Sheila Chapman (Associate Chair, Post Graduate URM Development, Faculty Development and Diversity).
Q: What goals do the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team hoping to achieve?
A: Our goals are to develop programs, initiatives, and processes to fundamentally shift the culture with the Department of Medicine, thus making the pursuit of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the forefront of the DOM’s research, teaching, clinical, and administrative work and interactions.
Q: Has the Black Lives Matter movement changed your current thinking about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging? If so, how?
A: I have worked in DEIB work for my entire career, and in terms of my research, I study marginalization. So this movement has not really changed how I think about DEIB at all. It has, however, certainly changed my approach and ability to promote DEIB. The BLM has been around for several years now, it’s gaining increased attention as a result of the impact that COVID has had on Black communities and Floyd’s murder. This increased attention has encouraged/forced people to examine the impact that race and racism has had on their lives and seek out solutions to promote DEIB in their work and personal lives. As a result, I am certainly more optimistic about doing DEIB work than I have been in the past as I think people are really interested in meaningful, impactful, and sustainable change.
Q: Are there any recent activities/initiatives that you would like everyone to know about?
A: The top initiatives would include:
- Department Diversity and Land Acknowledgement Statements. These serve as reminders of our values as a department.
- A DoM Reads Initiative, where we will focus on books pertaining to DEIB. This year the book will be: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- We will be offering bias reduction and bystander intervention trainings.
Q: How can faculty and staff members get more engaged?
A: There are a number of things faculty and staff can do. They can work to better educate themselves about issues of race, racism, and really, discrimination and bias overall. In addition, and perhaps, more importantly, they can commit to actively working to create sustainable solutions to promoting DEIB in all aspects of their lives.
Wilkins Boardroom Renovations COMPLETE!
The Wilkins Boardroom got a fancy, beautiful, and much needed upgrade over the last few months that will improve some functionality and enhances the overall look of the conference room.
The new upgrades includes:
- New audio system
- New phone system for audio conferencing
- 6 new speakers located in the ceiling
- Handheld and shirt clip microphones
- New amplifier located in the new sleek black podium in the front of the room
- New hardwood flooring
- Fresh new wall paint
- New quartz countertop installed in the back of the room with a trash bin on one end and a recycle bin located on the other end (PLEASE DO NOT SIT ON THE TABLE)
- Coat hooks installed on the back wall
- New award wall to be installed at the front of the room at a later date
- Stainless steel kick plates installed on the inside of the doors
- New art will be put up at a later date
- Disinfectant wipes station located near the back door
Before
After: Front of Wilkins Boardroom
After: Back of Wilkins Boardroom
BUMC Toastmasters Virtual Open House
BUMC Toastmasters Virtual Open House
Overcome your fear of speaking in a friendly, supportive atmosphere!
Learn to: Organize your thoughts • Think on your feet • Develop meeting skills • Build confidence • Increase your vocabulary • Practice leadership skills • Speak with clarity and fluency • Provide and receive feedback
Thursday, September 17, 5:15 - 6:30 PM via Zoom
Learn more about BUMC Toastmasters: BUMCToastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org or email BUMCToasmasters@gmail.com
Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Englewood, CO, the organization’s membership exceeds 357,000 in more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Visit us here for information about local Toastmasters clubs.
Pride Month Faculty Spotlight: Q&A with Dr. Carl Streed Jr., MD, MPH, FACP
Department of Medicine administrator Nellie Ferrara sits down with General Internal Medicine physician and Research Director for BMC's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery for a discussion on LGBTQ health and inclusion in medicine.
Q: Right now we’re witnessing the Black Lives Matter movement where inequality and injustices against African Americans are being brought to light and exposed. But when you think about injustices you also think about injustice in the LGBTQ community. The Supreme Court just ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ workers from being discriminated against. How does this impact your patients?
A: Before the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts thankfully already afforded significant protections for LGBTQ persons (https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality_maps/profile_state/MA); The recent Supreme Court decision actually gets the rest of the country up to speed on employer non-discrimination. For our patients in Massachusetts, where we already include protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the immediate impact will vary. With full protection under Title VII no matter where they work or their employer is based, people can be assured they cannot be fired for coming out. This is significant for LGBTQ patients, and really everyone, because the current healthcare system still ties health insurance benefits to employment, which accounts for a majority of health insurance coverage in the US and Massachusetts in particular (https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/total-population/?dataView=0¤tTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=employer&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Employer%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D). As our healthcare system relies on insurance, Bostock implies protecting someone’s access to health care, which includes gender affirming care, HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, etc for everyone.
Q: While this is a significant victory for those in the workplace, there is still work to do in terms of healthcare where discrimination is still a big issue especially during the current Presidential Administration. What kind of affect does discrimination have on an individuals health?
A: We know for a fact that experiences of stigma and discrimination affect the health and well-being of individuals and communities. It has been well described in what is called “Minority Stress Theory,” which notes how stressors (such as discrimination) can lead to increased rates of smoking, drinking, mental distress, and inflammation and immune dysregulation which all adversely affect our health (Mirowsky, J. & Ross, C.E. Social causes of psychological distress, (de Gruyter, New York, 1989); Pearlin, L.I. The sociological study of stress. J Health Soc Behav 30, 241-256 (1989); Lick, D.J., Durso, L.E. & Johnson, K.L. Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities. Perspect Psychol Sci 8, 521-548 (2013); Bostwick, W.B., Boyd, C.J., Hughes, T.L. & McCabe, S.E. Dimensions of sexual orientation and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the United States. Am J Public Health 100, 468-475 (2010); Wheldon, C.W., Kaufman, A.R., Kasza, K.A. & Moser, R.P. Tobacco Use Among Adults by Sexual Orientation: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. LGBT Health 5, 33-44 (2018); Lindley, L.L., Walsemann, K.M. & Carter, J.W., Jr. The association of sexual orientation measures with young adults’ health-related outcomes. Am J Public Health 102, 1177-1185 (2012))
Not surprisingly then, among groups of people who experience discrimination based on their minoritized identities (race, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc), we see higher rates of anxiety and depression, we see higher rates of smoking and drinking, and we see higher rates of hypertension and heart attacks. Of course, all of these presuppose that the discrimination it self isn’t what is killing people directly, which it is (police brutality, hate crimes).
Q: Has there been any kind of change recently that has happened that could potentially create a domino effect on the road to equality in healthcare? If no, what do you think needs to happen next?
A: While I think the Bostock decision is enormous because it appropriately interprets discrimination based on sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity, I don’t know if we’re going to see rapid change. The various steps needed to achieve equity in healthcare require us to not only update policies and the law (like Bostock), but also how we train our health care workforce, and value the lives and work of LGBTQ persons.
Q: How are you and other healthcare workers advocating for the LGBTQ community and are there ways that individuals who aren’t physicians or nurses can advocate to promote equality in healthcare?
A: Advancing health equity doesn’t benefit the few, it benefits everyone. Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity and how society responds to these affects your health. We’re all living and suffering in a society built on white supremacy and cis-heteronormativity. Acknowledging our diversity and dismantling the systems that harm us will require us working together, not in parallel or in tandem, but together.
In addition to advocating for our LGBTQ patients one-on-one and within our healthcare system, we advocate for updates in insurance coverage for gender affirming care, expansion of SOGI data collection to better characterize LGBTQ populations and health disparities, and push for required education and training to prepare future clinicians to care for LGBTQ persons.
Q: Is there anything you’re currently working on that you would like us to know about?
A: We have several projects looking at the current health status of transgender persons seeking care within BMC. We are also collaborating with researchers and clinicians outside of BU/BMC to understand how various LGBTQ-specific policies affect the well-being of LGBTQ youth and adults.
Thank you so much Dr. Streed for taking the time to answer my questions.
New DOM Awards Announced! – Deadline for Submission September 11
In addition to the eight awards that are given out on Evans Days, the Department of Medicine has announced the addition of two new Faculty Development and Diversity Awards (a faculty award and non-faculty diversity award) and an Administrative Award.
The Faculty Development and Diversity Award is awarded to a Department of Medicine faculty member who promotes the departmental values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the DOM or in the broader community. This faculty member promoted the culture of diversity through their work, research, teaching or as an ally to underrepresented groups.
Nomination Criteria: Nominees should be a faculty member of the Department of Medicine for at least a year
Submit a nomination for the Faculty Development and Diversity Award here
The Marie Antoinette Evans Award is awarded to a Department of Medicine non-faculty member who promotes the departmental values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the DOM or in the broader community. This person promotes the culture of diversity through their work, research, teaching or as an ally to underrepresented groups and can include administrators, researchers, clinicians and educators.
Nomination Criteria: Nominee should be a non-faculty member of the Department of Medicine for at least a year
Submit a nomination for the Marie Antoinette Evans Award here
The David "Aaron" Freed Award has been awarded annually since 2019 and honors an administrator who goes above and beyond their expected duties to pursue professional excellence and exemplary citizenship. It is given in memory of Aaron Freed, a longtime member of the departments IT support team who demonstrated daily a deep commitment to his work and his coworkers.
Nomination Criteria: Administrator members who have held a staff appointment for at least 1 year