Page 45 - WesternU View Summer 2019

Phillip D. Nelson, DVM, PhD, Dean, WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine, Max D. Ray, MS, PharmD, Dean Emeritus, WesternU College of
Pharmacy, Cato I. Laurencin, MD, PhD, and Daniel C. Robinson, PharmD, FASHP, Dean, WesternU College of Pharmacy.

Ray Symposium examines racism and health care disparities

Racism and discrimination take a powerful toll on Disparities in care among African Americans is a serious
African Americans, leading to higher mortality rates and problem that has appeared in medical journals since
disparities in care. To eliminate racial and ethnic health 1906, Laurencin said. “Unequal Treatment: Confronting
disparities, we must understand and combat racism in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care,” a
America, said Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, keynote landmark study by the Institute of Medicine, found that
speaker for Western University of Health Sciences’ Ray discrimination was a major factor contributing to
Symposium, held April 18, 2019, on the WesternU- disparities in care in settings of equal access.
Pomona campus.
“There is considerable empirical evidence that even well-
Among his many titles and roles, intentioned whites who are not overtly biased, who do
Dr. Laurencin is just the eighth designated University not believe that they are prejudiced, typically demonstrate
Professor in the history of the University of Connecticut. unconscious implicit negative racial attitudes and
He is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished stereotypes,” Laurencin said.
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, chief executive officer
https://news.westernu.edu/ray-symposium-examines-racism-and-health-
of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational care-disparities/
Science, director of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler
Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical and
Engineering Sciences, and Director of the Institute for

Regenerative Engineering at the University of

Connecticut.

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