Daphne Bascom, M.D., will be the keynote speaker for the School of Medicine’s 12th annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health at noon on Friday in Theater A. Bascom is the senior vice-president of community integrated health for the Greater Kansas City YMCA.
With more than 10 years’ experience as a physician executive, Bascom is an expert in clinical integration, performance improvement, and the design and deployment of health information technology systems.
Before joining the YMCA, she was vice president and chief medical officer for physician alignment at Cerner Corporation. There, she provided strategic consulting services to health-care executives on how to use health information technology to improve quality, safety, operations and the fiscal health of their organizations.
Bascom also served at Cerner as chief medical officer for worldwide consulting and chief medical information officer and was recognized as Healthcare Executive of the Year. Before working at Cerner, she was the chief clinical systems officer for the Cleveland Clinic Health System in Cleveland, Ohio.
She is a board-certified specialist in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery and has fellowship training in microvascular surgery of the head and neck. Dr. Bascom is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed her residency training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She earned her Ph.D. in physiological sciences at the University of Oxford Laboratory of Physiology in the United Kingdom.
J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., M.S.C.E., deputy assistant secretary for minority health, spoke with School of Medicine Dean Steven Kanter, M.D., and Samuel Turner, associate dean for diversity and inclusion, before presenting the 11th annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health.J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., M.S.C.E, deputy assistant secretary for minority health, presented the annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture on Feb. 26 at the UMKC School of Medicine.
A leading government official for minority health in the United States said Friday that while the country has made strides toward narrowing the gap in health equality, there is still work to be done.
As deputy assistant secretary for minority health and director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., M.S.C.E, plays a major role in the development and implementation of government programs and policies to battle health disparities in the United States.
“Our goal is not only to close the gap, but to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential of health,” said Gracia, who delivered the UMKC School of Medicine’s 11th annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health.
Gracia offered a brief overview of her office and how it looks at the disparities in health and health care in the country. She called this year a landmark for the office, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary of working to improve the health of racial and ethnic minorities.
She outlined many of the factors, from changing demographics to the various economic barriers, which play into the health discrepancies still seen in today’s population.
“All of these factors make the mission and the role of the Office of Minority Health more urgent now than ever before,” Gracia said.
A pediatrician with a focus in epidemiology, Gracia received her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh where she was a student of current UMKC School of Medicine Dean Steven Kanter, M.D., and his wife, Leslie Borsett-Kanter, M.D. Gracia established herself as a leader on a national level while in medical school. With Kanter’s urging and support, Gracia rose to the position of president of the Student National Medical Association. She is a national president emeritus of the organization is also a past postgraduate physician trustee of the National Medical Association.
She has since served as the chief medical officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, providing program and policy leadership for a number of initiatives from global health to climate change. Gracia also served as a White House fellow and policy advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama on a program to battle childhood obesity. She has been named one of the 100 History Makers in the Making by the African-American news site, TheGrio, and one of Washington’s Powerful Women by the BET channel.
Gracia said that under the current presidential administration, health-care priorities such as the Affordable Care Act and My Brother’s Keeper, a task force designed to ensure all youths have the opportunity to reach their full potential, have been implemented to keep Americans healthy and safe, boost scientific research and medical innovations, and to expand and strengthen the health care system.
She also recognized the work taking place on local levels. Gracia applauded the efforts of physicians and researchers at the School of Medicine and throughout UMKC in addressing the issue of health equality in the Kansas City community.
“The work you are doing, reaching out to the community and providing opportunities is one that is of great need,” Gracia said. “We ask that we continue to work together in this dramatic year in which we are talking about accelerating health equity for the nation, not just continuing our efforts but truly accelerating our progress so we can reach that goal of reaching the full potential for health.”
Betty M. Drees, M.D., left, and Dean Steven Kanter, M.D., pose with a bronze sculpture to commemorate Drees’ tenure as dean of the School of Medicine.
The School of Medicine recognized Betty M. Drees, M.D., with the unveiling of a bronze sculpture honoring her long-time role as dean during a ceremony on Sept. 18. Drees stepped down as dean in 2014, after 13 years in the position.
The unveiling ceremony coincided with an event to recognize School of Medicine faculty who earned promotions and tenure for the 2015 academic year. The event also included the presentation of faculty and student awards for excellence in diversity and in mentorship.
Dean Steven Kanter, M.D., recognized Drees as an intelligent and caring leader and the consummate professional. “Through her guidance and leadership, the school stands ready to take on the challenge of the coming years,” he said.
Drees was appointed dean of the School of Medicine in 2003, after serving two years as interim dean and one year as executive associate dean. She joined UMKC as associate dean for academic affairs and docent physician in 1998. From 2007 to 2008, she served as the University’s interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Under her leadership, the UMKC School of Medicine graduated more than 1,000 new physicians, increased research funding, and improved student success and retention. Drees saw the launch of new departments and programs, and completed expansions, renovations and upgrades throughout the medical schoo’s facilities. Under her care, the School of Medicine secured funding for seven new endowed chairs and professorships.
Mentoring Awards
John Foxworth, Pharm.D., (top) and Vincent Barone, Phy.D., (bottom) received the Betty M. Drees Excellence in Mentoring Awards from Rebecca Pauly, M.D.,
John Foxworth, Pharm.D., professor of medicine and assistant dean for faculty development, and Vincent Barone, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, received the Dr. Betty M. Drees Excellence in Mentoring Awards.
Foxworth received the Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award, given to a professor at the School of Medicine. He is an active mentor for residents and students in research efforts and has been a member of the School of Medicine faculty since 1983. He served on the faculty council as chair and is currently chair of the faculty development committee.
Barone received the Excellence in Mentoring Award, recognizing an associate or assistant professor. He serves as associate director of the developmental and behavioral sciences medical fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He is also the director of developmental and behavioral sciences at the Children’s Mercy South.
Diversity Awards
Jim Stanford, M.D., (top) and Cary Chelladurai, manager of Student Affairs, (bottom) accepted the Excellence in Diversity and Health Equity in Medicine Awards from Sam Turner, associate dean for diversity and inclusion.
The Excellence in Diversity and Health Equity in Medicine awards were presented to two honorees: Jim Stanford, associate professor of medicine and Blue 5 Docent, and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. The honors recognize the sustained and impactful contributions to diversity, inclusion, cultural competency or health equity by a student or student organization and by a faculty, staff, resident or department.
Stanford is an infectious disease expert who has devoted a large portion of his clinical career to serving low-income adults living with or at risk of HIV and AIDS. He has served as research director for the Kansas City AIDS Research Consortium, provides care for HIV positive patients, and works with endocrinologists at Truman Medical Center to provide quality care in a culturally appropriate way for transgender patients. His clinical practice includes a growing number of patients who experience significant health disparities due to mental illness, substance abuse, poverty and low health literacy.
The Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association has successfully fostered a diverse environment of education and learning for impoverished citizens, underprivileged children and those at risk for Hepatitis B. With more than 150 student volunteers, the organization has worked with local Vietnamese, African American, Indian, Sri Lankan and Pakistani communities, as well as the Kansas City African Chamber of Commerce that serves residents from 34 African nations. Through events including free health fairs and the wordwide Hepatitis Awareness Month, students have provided health care services for the community. Students also gain teaching and role modeling experience through these efforts.
The School of Medicine announced that Samuel H. Turner, Sr., former Shawnee Mission Medical Center president and CEO, has been appointed as the new Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion starting Sept. 1. He has served as a consultant in that office since May 2014.
Turner has more than 25 years’ experience as a senior-level executive in large health care organizations. In previous roles, he provided cultural leadership, worked with boards of directors, and built partnerships and referral relationships to establish and implement strategies that strengthen overall business operations.
He served a dual role at Shawnee Mission Medical Center from 2000 to 2011, managing a health care facility that earned top rankings in patient satisfaction and employee/physician engagement among all hospitals in the Adventist Health System. During his tenure, the hospital was selected one of Solucient’s Top 100 Hospitals on multiple occasions, received the Kansas Award for Excellence, and was recognized with various other quality awards.
Prior to his work at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Turner served in senior leadership roles at Lakeshore Health System, Inc., in East Chicago, Indiana, and at St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland. He also launched a consulting firm that specialized in physician practices and hospitals, advising in areas such as reimbursement, compliance, office administration, and marketing, as well as in legal matters.
Turner received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tennessee State University and earned a law degree at Vanderbilt University.
The 2015 class of Summer Scholars with program director Ken Beene (right) and program intern Vanessa Liddell (left).The 2015 class of Advanced Summer Scholars with program director Ken Beene (right) and program intern Vanessa Liddell (left).
For the past month, 48 area high school students were immersed in the Summer Scholars program at the UMKC School of Medicine that many hope will be a springboard to their future as healthcare professionals. Summer Scholars celebrated its 35th class on July 31 with an annual awards luncheon and forum at Kansas City’s Guadalupe Center.
Summer Scholars takes place each July offering basic science enrichment, exposure to various aspects of the health care field, interviewing and personal development skills, and preparing to apply to a medical school. It also provides the students the opportunity to interact with medical students and professionals.
The program is made up largely of high school juniors and seniors and includes a group of Advanced Summer Scholars, attendees returning for a second session. This year’s program welcomed 36 Summer Scholars and 12 Advanced Summer Scholars.
As part of the awards ceremony and forum, students gave brief presentations of what they learned throughout the program and what they will take away from their month-long venture when they return to high school. Each student was also presented with an inspirational book and a certificate recognizing their efforts in completing the program.
The event also included presentations from UMKC representatives on various topics dealing with attending college, obtaining financial aid and multicultural resources at UMKC.
The Summer Scholars began in 1980 when former School of Medicine Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs Reaner Shannon, Ph.D., began an exploratory experience to encourage area high school students from underserved and minority backgrounds to consider health care fields. Nearly 5 percent of those who attend Summer Scholars go on to attend the UMKC School of Medicine, while a larger number will enter other health care fields, said program coordinator Kenneth Beene.
The Hospital Hill Diversity Council will be host to an evening of music, dining and dancing to raise scholarship funds for underrepresented students of color enrolled in the UMKC health sciences schools. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Pierson Auditorium.
This is the third annual Hospital Hill Scholarship Dinner and Dance, and will include a time for networking and a special presention of the Health Care Provider of Color Awards. The awards recognize outstanding commitment and dedication to providing healthcare to underserved populations in the Kansas City metro area.
Last year’s event raised nearly $12,000 for endowed scholarships for students of Africa- American, Hispanic-American, American-Indian, Alaska-Native, Native-Hawaiian, and other Pacific-Islanders heritage.
Music and dancing will follow the awards presentations and dinner.
Space is limited and reservations are required by midnight on Sept. 9. Tickets are $65 per person or $520 for a table of eight. Ticket purchases are tax deductible.
Just before 9 a.m., a fourth-floor conference room at Truman Medical Center is coming to life. Medical students, residents and nurses are gathering with Carol Stanford, M.D. ’79, a docent physician at the UMKC School of Medicine, and this morning’s attending physician. Joining the group are two high school students, Stephanie Echevery and Fiori Habtemichael.
This is the 35th year of the School of Medicine’s Summer Scholars enrichment program that offers minority and economically disadvantaged students, primarily high school juniors and seniors, a three-week primer in health-care career opportunities. Students who attend Summer Scholars can return the following summer for the advanced program that offers additional exposure to clinical experiences and interactions with health care professionals
Echevery and Habtemichael, two Advanced Summer Scholars, watch and listen as the group goes around the table for the next 40 minutes giving status reports and recommendations for the hospital patients they’re about to see.
“Understanding what they’re saying and what they’re talking about can be kind of hard, but after a while it starts to click,” said Habtemichael, a Winnetonka High School student. She is one of this year’s 12 Advanced Summer Scholars. “It’s kind of cool to be in the conference room with them and hear what they’re doing with the patients, whether they’re going to keep them (in the hospital) or discharge them.”
The students will shadow the unit throughout its morning rounds. Even though they’re still in high school, the students say they’re treated just like another member of the docent team.
After Stanford and the team completed a visit with a particular patient, a medical student took Echevery and Habetmichael aside and briefly explained the patient’s condition and the conversation that had just taken place between doctor and patient.
“Sometimes they go over our heads, but they do a good job of answering our questions,” said Echevery, who attends Raytown South High School. “It’s our first real experience and with all of the medical terms, it’s like a foreign language. But after a while, they’ll stop and ask us if we have any questions.”
Morning rounds with the docent units are just one of the hospital activities the second-year Summer Scholars experience. Just a week earlier, the students were in the Birthplace, Truman’s labor and delivery area. They’ll also experience the hospital’s surgical services among others.
Each Advanced Summer Scholar will also take part in a research project. This year, the class split into three groups to produce papers that explored coronary artery disease, child vaccinations and psychological tendencies.
Many of the students say they’re in the advanced program because they’ve already decided they want to go into some type of health care profession and help others in the future. A second year in Summer Scholars is giving them a better opportunity to do just that, they say.
“Last year, I began with an interest in wanting to become something in the medical field but I didn’t really have a good idea of what I want to be,” said Tina Ngo, a Lee’s Summit High School student. Ngo said the advanced program would help her decide on a career and where she wants to go to college in the future.
For those who are already leaning toward medical school, the opportunity to shadow doctors and medical students in the clinic and hospital settings is huge, said Echevery.
“This is going to be really good for me. (Being a doctor) is what I want to do,” Echevery said. “Being able to walk the hallways with the attending and the residents, it’s like a glimpse into the future. I really like that.”
2016 Advanced Summer Scholars (and their high schools)
Brittani Arnold — Raytown
Gelilla Daniel — Park Hill
Symphony Davis — Blue Springs
Stephanie Echevery — Raytown South
Adam Habib — Immaculata
Fiori Habtemichael — Winnetonaka
McKindrea Hudson — Bishop Ward
Chuma Humphrey — Oak Park
Emmanuel Madu — Raytown South
Tina Ngo — Lee’s Summit
Angelica Perez — Bishop Miege
Hieu-Antonio Phan — Shawnee Mission South
A faculty member who has devoted a large portion of his clinical career to serving low income adults living with or at risk of HIV and AIDs and a student organization reaching out to serve impoverished citizens, underprivileged children and those at risk for Hepatitis B have been selected as winners of this year’s Excellence in Diversity and Health Equity in Medicine awards from the School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Community Partnerships.
Jim Stanford, M.D.
The awards recognize individuals and organizations for their demonstrated and sustained contribution to diversity, inclusion, cultural competency and health equity.
Jim Stanford, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and Blue 5 Docent, is an infectious diseases expert who has served as research director for the Kansas City AIDS Research Consortium, provides care for HIV positive patients, and works with endocrinologists at Truman Medical Center to provide quality care in a culturally appropriate way for transgender patients.
Stanford’s clinical practice at TMC provides care for a growing number of patients who experience significant health disparities due to conditions that include mental illness, substance abuse, poverty and low health literacy.
Student members of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) take part in a health fair.
The school’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association was selected as the student organization award recipient for its work with local Vietnamese, African American, India, Sri Lankan and Pakistani communities as well as the Kansas City African Chamber of Commerce that serves residents from 34 African nations.
With more than 150 student volunteers, including undergraduates to Year 6 medical students, the organization has fostered a successful, diverse environment of education and learning. Through their coordination and participation in events during the year such as free health fairs and the wordwide Hepatitis Awareness Month, students have provided health care services for the community while also gaining teaching and role modeling experiences.
This year’s awards will be presented in September during the annual faculty promotion and tenure recognition reception.
Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan, M.D., presented the 10th annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health on Feb. 27 at the School of Medicine.
While the 21st century has produced advances in public health, medical research and therapies, there is still work to be done to improve the health of our minority population, said former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan, M.D., at the UMKC School of Medicine. Sullivan was the keynote speaker at school’s 10th annual Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health on Feb. 27.
“The greatest advances in the health of our population will occur if we are successful in engaging our patients to be partners in improving their health literacy and having them become partners not only in their health care, but more importantly, in staying healthy,” Sullivan said in his lecture, The State of Diversity 1965-2015.
Louis Sullivan, M.D.
Sullivan said that it is vital that the United States improve on the diversity of its health care workforce in order to improve the health literacy of the underserved and minority population. That, in turn, Sullivan said, will produce a stronger, more vibrant and more healthy nation.
Sullivan is chairman of the Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions, a Washington, D.C.,-based non-profit organization devoted to transforming and diversifying education in the health professions and health delivery systems. Six regional and state alliances have been established to develop programs and funding sources to that end and more are in the works. Diversity officers from Missouri’s medical schools met with Sullivan last November at the Association of American Medical Colleges’ national meeting in Chicago to discuss creating a statewide alliance. Sullivan met again with some of those leaders prior the Shannon Lecture to discuss the next steps in creating a Missouri alliance.
Sullian applauded the efforts of Reanor Shannon, Ph.D., the School of Medicine’s former associate dean for minority affairs, in addressing the issue of diversity in health care.
“This is really an extension of the goals that Dr. Shannon has had for many years,” Sullivan said. “I view the Missouri Alliance as a product of the interest Dr. Shannon has shown over the years and the things she has done at this institution.”
Rebecca Pauly, M.D., professor of medicine and biomedical and health informatics, served as one of the organizers for this year’s Shannon Lecture.
“We have a great opportunity for the state of Missouri,” Pauly said. “Leaders from UMKC, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Saint Louis University and Washington University are reaching beyond our institutional silos to collaborate and construct programs focused on improving the diversity of the health care workforce.”
A poster session in the School of Medicine lobby prior to the lecture displayed some of the diversity efforts of the school’s faculty and staff with topics ranging from the school’s cultural competency curriculum and its high school pipeline programs, to research focused on health disparities, community engagement and urban-serving institutions.
In addition to his work with the alliance, Sullivan is chairman of the board of Atlanta’s National Health Museum and is president emeritus of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, where he served as the founding dean.
During his tenure with the Department of Health and Human Services, Sullivan led numerous initiatives to improve public health in the United States. He drove an effort to increase the National Institutes of Health budget from $8.0 billion in 1989 to $13.1 billion in 1993, established the Office of Research on Minority Health, now the Institute for Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities, within the NIH, and inaugurated a number of programs including those in women’s health research and improving Food and Drug Administration food labeling.
He was also responsible for implementing greater gender and ethnic diversity in senior level positions within the department, including the appointment of the first female director of the NIH.
Sullivan earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and conducted his internal medicine residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. In 1975, Sullivan became the founding dean and director of the medical education program at what is now the Morehouse School of Medicine, a predominately black medical school. He served as president of the school for more than two decades before retiring and becoming president emeritus in 2001.
Shannon established the Shannon Lectureship with her husband, Henry, in 2006 just prior to her retirement from the School of Medicine. Former U.S. Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders presented the first Shannon Lecture. Speakers of local and national interest have presented the lecture each February since in conjunction with Black History Month, focusing on timely topics that impact the underserved and minority communities.
Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, will be the featured speaker at noon on Feb. 27 when the School of Medicine celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Dr. Reaner and Mr. Henry Shannon Lecture in Minority Health.
Sullivan, who served as a member of President George H.W. Bush’s Cabinet from 1989 through 1993, is currently chairman of the Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions, a Washington, D.C., based non-profit organization devoted to transforming and diversifying education in the health professions and health delivery systems. His lecture, The State of Diversity 1965-2015, will explore those efforts.
A poster session in the School of Medicine lobby prior to the lecture will display the similar efforts of the school’s faculty and staff with topics ranging from the school’s cultural competency curriculum and its high school pipeline programs, to research focused on health disparities, community engagement and urban serving institutions.
The Sullivan Alliance is an outgrowth of two group reports in the early 2000s that produced more than 60 recommendations to key stakeholders in the U.S. health care system to address the need for a greater diversity among the health care workforce. Leaders of the two efforts established the Sullivan Alliance to encourage formal collaborations among higher education, academic medical centers and health professions schools in developing a diversified workforce.
A handful of regional and state alliances have since been established to developing programs and funding sources to that end. Diversity officers from Missouri’s medical schools met with Sullivan last November at the Association of American Medical Colleges’ national meeting in Chicago to discuss creating a statewide alliance. Rebecca Pauly, M.D., who works with the school’s Office of Diversity and Community Partnership, said Sullivan would meet with many of those leaders again during his trip to Kansas City for the Shannon Lectureship to discuss the next steps in creating a Missouri alliance.
In addition to his work with the alliance, Sullivan is chairman of the board of Atlanta’s National Health Museum and is president emeritus of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, where he served as the founding dean.
During his tenure with the Department of Health and Human Services, Sullivan led numerous initiatives to improve public health in the United States. He drove an effort to increase the National Institutes of Health budget from $8.0 billion in 1989 to $13.1 billion in 1993, established the Office of Research on Minority Health, now the Institute for Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities, within the NIH, and inaugurated a number of programs including those in women’s health research and improving Food and Drug Administration food labeling.
He was also responsible for implementing greater gender and ethnic diversity in senior level positions within the department, including the appointment of the first female director of the NIH.
Sullivan earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and conducted his internal medicine residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. In 1975, Sullivan became the founding dean and director of the medical education program at what is now the Morehouse School of Medicine, a predominately black medical school. He served as president of the school for more than two decades before retiring and becoming president emeritus in 2001.
Reaner Shannon, Ph.D., who served as the School of Medicine’s first associate dean for minority affairs, and her husband, Henry Shannon, established the Shannon Lectureship in 2006. Former U.S. Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders presented the first Shannon Lecture. Speakers of local and national interest have presented the lecture each February since in conjunction with Black History Month, focusing on timely topics that impact the underserved and minority communities.
The Hospital Hill Diversity Council will be host to an evening of music, dining and dancing to raise scholarship funds for underrepresented students of color enrolled in the UMKC health sciences schools. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Pierson Auditorium.
