UH Med Weekly
June 19, 2020 Use Your Power to Empower
JABSOM Leadership Statement on Racism
Juneteenth and Beyond
This statement is being released in honor of Juneteenth – a day of significance for all Americans. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, slavery continued in the southern states through the Civil War and in Texas for nearly 3 months after the Civil War had ended. On June 19, 1865, thousands of federal troops entered Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War was over and that all slaves were freed.
The name of the observance is a word melding of "June" and "nineteenth," the date of its celebration marking the end of slavery and now a time to celebrate the culture, contributions and achievements of African Americans.
The events of the last several weeks have reminded us that equity in society is a constant struggle and that many, especially African Americans, still suffer physical and emotional harm from racism in America. As physicians, we are increasingly aware of the higher rates of chronic disease, mental health issues, and decreased life expectancy associated with structurally racist policies and programs in our society.
Violence is a related health disparity in America. We recognize recent victims of violence related to disparate practices; Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks died by the actions of police and Ahmaud Arbery died as a victim of vigilantes.
Addressing police practices and actions that lead to such unwarranted deaths must be a priority across this country. It is not only a public health issue; it is tearing the fabric of our society apart. Those who participated in these recent deaths warrant an appropriate legal response. Equally important, our national community policing practices – including hiring, training, and employee performance review and reporting processes for law enforcement – must be reassessed. The policies and procedures used to guide police officer actions in response to potential threats require review and alignment with the needs of our communities. Assessment of police union practices and covenants with our cities also will be needed. Some practices by their very nature may hide undesirable performance and racial statements/actions by some police officers.
Collectively we need to ask for greater accountability on many levels. We know that a majority of police officers uphold their oath to serve and protect their communities in a respectful manner with great pride. However, across America, many in our society feel neither served nor protected. Indeed, many people of color have experienced or fear policing practices that have the potential for disparate justice and violence. The call for pro-active reform of community policing is clear.
On June 15, 2020, JABSOM leadership held an open forum with our ‘ohana to discuss racism in America as a health issue. Many voices implored us to speak openly about racism in our society and asked what we can do as an institution. As you are aware, we have previously called upon our JABSOM ‘ohana to lead with respectful dialogue and peaceful opposition to racism - during a time of escalating social discord elsewhere in America. We seek to foster understanding and crucial conversations which can strengthen the fabric of our society and create the opportunity to fundamentally address areas of institutional inequity whether in community policing or the training and practice of physicians.
We all can take pride in the JABSOM students, staff, faculty and graduates who participated in this important forum. All were passionate about the need to end racist practices, behaviors, and attitudes that drive health inequities. This dialogue highlighted JABSOM’s ability to create thoughtful leaders who advocate for their community and fellow health care providers, as well as providing excellent care for each individual patient. Such community advocacy also has been evident through our ‘ohana’s participation in #WhiteCoats4Blacklives and other peaceful protests against racism – our nation’s other continuing public health crisis.
Consistent with our vision to attain lasting optimal health for all and our shared core values of collaboration, diversity, inclusion and pono, we have done much and will continue to do much as a healthcare institution to denounce racist behavior and to address structural inequities in societal institutions including our own academic institution and programs. This effort requires dialogue and such dialogue requires listening with compassion and respect. Most importantly, this effort requires caring. Together it can be done.
To be continued: Next message – What JABSOM is doing to strengthen anti-racist curriculum and address structural racism in medical education and the health ecosystem.
The American Lung Association (ALA) has declared the color turquoise is in season with its $25-million COVID-19 Action Initiative, for funding research to find a cure for the coronavirus pandemic and to prevent future lung-related pandemics. The initiative is seeded with $8-million of the ALA’s own funds to help close the gap toward its goal. Around the country, many Turquoise Ambassadors are key to the success of this campaign.
Dean Jerris Hedges of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) was selected to be a Turquoise Ambassador to assist by raising $2500 toward this effort. He is part of the “I Wear Turquoise” campaign, to encourage everyone to imagine a world free of lung disease, and to raise awareness and funds to support research for better treatments and improved methods of early detection for lung disease. All are welcome to make a donation at Dean Hedge's personal fundraiser link.
“In this time of the SARS-novel-coronavirus we know that those with chronic lung conditions are at increased risk of coronavirus-related lung injury,” Dean Hedges said. “Here at JABSOM, we have several researchers deep into COVID-19 research to determine how best to treat and cure those with this disease. Many of our graduates, faculty, and medical students are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and experienced personal protective equipment shortages, long hours, exhaustion, and at many points, frustration.”
The ALA will use the funds to award grants for preventive research, vaccines, antivirals, and to advance future outbreak preparedness. It will also expand COVID-19 research within the current clinical trials of the Airways Clinical Research Center Network.
Before COVID-19, Dr. Elizabeth Tam treated patients with various lung diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, and emphysema, among other ailments. She also studied the effects of volcanic eruptions on Hawaii Island families. Throughout it all, her most consistent foe, big tobacco, continues to make it easy for the very young to experience nicotine addiction with fruit-flavored vape cigarettes.
“The ALA was all about fighting them [big tobacco],” Dr. Tam said. “Mid-schoolers and high school students are heavily marketed by tobacco companies -- and they are getting them. I’m concerned.”
Dr. Tam, a JABSOM pulmonologist, Professor and Chair of Medicine, and the ALAH and Leahi Fund Endowed Chair in Respiratory Health, credits the organization for improving community outreach about smoking and other environmental pollutants. As with maladies of the past, the ALA has in its sights COVID-19 and to raise funds necessary for research and development of its treatment and cure.
Pediatrics Chair Kenneth Nakamura, MD (JABSOM class of 1979), said the ALA endowment for lung research in pediatrics supports community-based research endeavors, such as asthma, in underserved communities.
“The funding has also been used to support senior faculty in mentoring junior faculty in research and career development with a board focus on lung disorders in children from newborns to adolescents,” Dr. Nakamura said.
While Dr. Nakamura notes that there is no COVID-19 pediatric research underway, the battle against vaping that Dr. Tam mentioned is a consistent challenge.
In the islands, the American Lung Association of Hawaii (ALAH) was established more than 90 years ago. A private 501(c) (3) non-profit organization founded on Kauai in 1929, ALAH is the oldest voluntary health organization in Hawaii. If it were sugar cane and volcanic ash affecting Hawaii’s populace in the 1920s and 1930s, the Hawaii chapter had good reason to exist. After close to 100 years, COVID-19 has given more reason to the ALAH to protect the islands from diseases that damage the lungs, and to provide useful information to prevent or to cope with such ailments.
JABSOM Library is getting a new website!
The switch to the new website will be initiated Friday evening on June 19. There may be a possible outage of the library website over the weekend but not to worry, you can still access OneSearch to find ebooks and articles and all databases through the UH Manoa Library website.
Instructions on alternate access to library resources along with bit.ly links direct to select databases can be found here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1od9XQY7cDLZf7-BEEYhnMLcFlt5XfUyyASp6iyGF7Ug/edit?usp=sharing
Please contact the library (hslinfo@hawaii.edu) asap if you plan to use the library resources this weekend and need help/clarification on alternate access.
Alternate Links to Select Databases
AccessMedicine: https://bit.ly/JABSOM_AccessMed
ClinicalKey: https://bit.ly/JABSOM_CK
Cochrane Library: https://bit.ly/2UZsDRn
Coronavirus Research Database: https://bit.ly/3deERvx
LWW Health Library:
https://meded-lwwhealthlibrary-com.eres.library.manoa.haw
aii.edu/index.aspx
PubMed: https://bit.ly/JABSOM_PubMed
Meet the 'Imi Hoōla class of 2020 and the first students of the class of 2024
Don't forget, we want your #JABSOMohana submissions!
A papaya solo.
Dear Diabetes Stakeholders, Friends and Colleagues,
Please share this message widely with your own network of contacts.
This is the sixth of 16 webinars. Attendance has been over 200 every session with excellent participation from Hawai`i and the Pacific.
"Everyone learns, everyone teaches." The ECHO model is not just words. Integrating learning models with primary care is pushing the envelope towards an improved future for healthcare.
The series continues with instructive case presentations, and lively real-time Q&A. You are welcome to submit a patient case for discussion; get feedback from expert endocrinologists.
Join in Wednesday morning , June 24, 2020, for the next session!
Free CME from Stanford University is offered for this high quality program.
Aloha,
Dan
Daniel Saltman, MD FACP
Associate Clinical Professor, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Director, Hawaii Learning Groups
Cooperation occurs at the speed of trust.
Favorite Quotes From Jim Mattis
“Be brilliant in the basics. Don’t dabble in your job; you must master it. That applies at every level as you advance. Analyze yourself. Identify weaknesses and improve yourself. “ p. 11
“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, learning from others who went before you, you are functionally illiterate – you can’t coach and you can’t lead. History lights the often dark path ahead, even if it’s a dim light, it’ better than none. If you can’t be additive as a leader, you’re just like a potted plant in the corner of a hotel lobby: you look pretty, but you’re not adding substance to the organization’s mission.”(P237-8)
“PowerPoint is the scourge of critical thinking. It encourages fragmented logic by the briefer and passivity in the listener. Only a verbal narrative that logically connects a succinct problem statement using rational thinking can develop sound solutions. PowerPoint is excellent when displaying data, but it makes us stupid when applied to critical thinking.” P. 182
[Referring to success within an organization.] “Culture eats strategy for lunch.”
“Cooperation occurs at the speed of trust.” P. 224
“Risk aversion will damage the long-term health, even survival, of the organization, because it will undercut disciplined but unregimented thinking. Because maverick thinkers are so important to an organization’s adaptability, high-ranking leaders need to be assigned the job of guiding and even protecting them, much as one would do for any endangered species.” P.243
“We sometimes find that we’ve grown organizations with echelons that have outlived their value. Allowing bad processes to sump good people is intolerable. When the utility of certain staff or command echelons is lacking, they slow down decisions and can paralyze execution, allowing the adversary to dance around them methodical, process-driven approach.” P. 242
The John A. Burns School of Medicine
Email: pbender@hawaii.edu
Website: https://jabsom.hawaii.edu/news-media/uh-med-now/
Location: 651 Ilalo Street
Phone: (808) 371-2821
Facebook: facebook.com/JABSOM
Twitter: @uhmed