Archive for health equity
Letters to our younger selves: Ron Wilkinson
Black History Month celebrates the achievements of African Americans in U. S. history. Established in February 1926, the event recognizes those who have inspired positive change through advocacy, community building, and professional success. In honor of Black History Month and this year’s theme of Black health and wellness, we are featuring a few of the ... Read More about Letters to our younger selves: Ron Wilkinson
Letters to our younger selves: Dr. Tyonne Hinson
Black History Month celebrates the achievements of Black Americans in U.S. history. Originally established in February 1926, the event recognizes those who have inspired positive change through advocacy, community building, and professional success. In honor of Black History Month and this year’s theme of Black health and wellness, we are featuring a few of the ... Read More about Letters to our younger selves: Dr. Tyonne Hinson
What Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us about leadership
Among the individuals who have helped shape American history, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stands out. As one of the key leaders of the civil rights movement, he was instrumental in overturning racist laws that segregated public spaces and treated Black Americans as second-class citizens. After years of marches and sit-ins, after nonviolent ... Read More about What Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us about leadership
Bringing genomics to community NICUs
About a year and a half ago, Robert Rothstein, MD, FAAP encountered a baby with a pattern of facial features and clinical findings that suggested a genetic syndrome. The available tests couldn’t pinpoint a diagnosis, and the family wanted a more definitive answer. So Rothstein and his colleagues transferred the newborn from Baystate Medical Center ... Read More about Bringing genomics to community NICUs
Addressing inequities in asthma by focusing on children’s environments
Asthma strikes children in low-income urban areas especially hard, more often sending them to the hospital. For more than 20 years, Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul at Boston Children’s Hospital has been investigating why — and seeking ways to level the playing field. “Children in low-income areas and children of color often aren’t diagnosed early enough with ... Read More about Addressing inequities in asthma by focusing on children’s environments
With a dose of health equity, brachial plexus study enrolls more patients
What drives a parent to say yes or no to enrolling their child in research? When a surprisingly high percent of patient families said no to participating in a study of brachial plexus birth injury, orthopedic surgeon Andrea Bauer, MD, and her team decided to find out why. Along the way, they became versed in ... Read More about With a dose of health equity, brachial plexus study enrolls more patients
Lead exposure remains a problem for some children
Lead poisoning has been with us since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. But it wasn’t until the late 1970s that strong laws were passed to reduce lead in the environment. And 40+ years later, a large national study still finds evidence of possibly harmful lead exposure in young children, especially those living in low-income ... Read More about Lead exposure remains a problem for some children
Standing up to microaggressions: A hospital-wide training
How can a large, teaching hospital address racial bias in the midst of a pandemic? This question came to a head last summer as the country reacted to the death of George Floyd. As a champion for children’s health, and as part of its Declaration on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity, Boston Children’s Hospital committed to ... Read More about Standing up to microaggressions: A hospital-wide training
Providing culturally responsive care to refugee and immigrant families
Refugee and immigrant parents and children have unique care needs. They have left their former lives behind, often due to discrimination, poverty, violence, or even ethnic cleansing operations. They may have witnessed or experienced torture or the death of a loved one. Once resettled in the U.S., parents must navigate and adjust to American culture, ... Read More about Providing culturally responsive care to refugee and immigrant families
A Juneteenth celebration of children’s books featuring Black characters
Books can provide a mirror for kids to understand themselves and a window into the world around them. Yet for many generations, Black characters were almost nonexistent in children’s books. Very often, the few that did appear were limited, with one kind of hair and one skin tone. “Thinking about the books that were popular ... Read More about A Juneteenth celebration of children’s books featuring Black characters