Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Charles R. Drew (1904-1950)

By Kya Hertz, CDP

Dr. Charles R. Drew was a pioneering physician and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and science, especially around blood transfusion and storage. His work has saved countless lives and helped to lay the foundation for the modern blood banking industry.

Born in Washington D.C., Drew was the oldest of five children and showed an early aptitude for science and medicine. After completing his undergraduate education at Amherst College in Massachusetts, he went on to earn a degree in medicine from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Drew's groundbreaking research into blood transfusion and storage began…

An Invitation to Recommit to Change: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

By Eve J. Higginbotham SM, MD, ML, Dwaine Duckett

On January 19, Penn Medicine will be hosting its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Equity Symposium celebrating the life and legacy of one of our most celebrated Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King.   As the first President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, rooted in Christian beliefs, and galvanized by the teachings and practice of Mathma Gandhi, Dr. King was one of most visible and impactful leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.  The lessons we can learn from his journey live on in his speeches and writing; it is his crusade for social justice that we celebrate on his actual…

Blog Series – Covid-19: Stories, Insights and Perspectives Robertson Lab & OID

By Corrinne Fahl

Can We Detect SARS-Cov-2 More Efficiently and Effectively in the Near Future? In the midst of this pandemic, Penn Medicine continues its history of innovation by leading the way in finding solutions to  fight COVID-19. The Office of Inclusion and Diversity had the opportunity to learn more about one new approach to detect SARS-Cov-2.

Getting to Know You

By Corrinne Fahl

October 16, 2017 | by Greg Richter

Starting today, Penn Medicine hospitals in Philadelphia are asking patients to share more information in their EHRs. For example, in addition to reporting their sex at birth, patients are now offered the opportunity to provide specific information about their gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as their ethnicity and preferred spoken and written language. The first such update in 10 years, the changes follow national Healthy People 20/20 recommendations as well as the Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Medicine) National Academies report on what to collect on patients' background and characteristics. Knowing…

Two Members of Penn Community Named “40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health

By Corrinne Fahl

The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) has honored two members of the Penn community with its 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health award, which recognizes the next generation of thought leaders in reducing healthcare disparities. Paris Butler, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of Plastic Surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, PhD, the vice-provost’s postdoctoral fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, will both receive their awards at the NMQF Leadership Summit on Health Disparities and Congressional Black Caucus…

Why It is More Important Than Ever to Reveal the Hidden Curriculum in Educating the Next Generation of Physicians By Dr. Higginbotham

By Eve J. Higginbotham, SM, MD

A recent article by a medical student from Brown University raises the question about the understanding of how future generations of physicians consider the influence that the social construct of "race" has on medicine.

In her article entitled "The Hidden Curriculum" Brown continues the conversation about the intersect between racism and medicine that one of our very own Penn medical students, Mark Attiah[1] noted in a previous article, highlighting the benefits of considering the benefits of an inclusive environment, "where everyone feels included in the larger dialogue." While one perspective appears to be in opposition of the other, both…