Educational Roundtable Addresses Unconscious Bias and Disparities in Health Care With Renowned Faculty and Thought Leaders

Meeting kicks off nationwide initiative, explores inequities, unconscious bias, and racial disparities within health care

BETHESDA, Maryland (June 9, 2021) - CME Outfitters, a leading accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME) and a division of KnowFully Learning Group, held an educational roundtable on May 20-21 focused on confronting unconscious bias and disparities in health care. The meeting of 10 esteemed medical faculty members representing a variety of therapeutic areas was held as part of a nationwide initiative to educate clinicians on unconscious bias and health care disparities. The initiative is supported by an educational grant from the Johnson & Johnson Institute.*

Titled Addressing Unconscious Bias and Disparities in Healthcare: A Call to Action, the initiative aims to provide actionable steps to improve health outcomes among all patients, including underserved and marginalized populations. Roundtable faculty specialties include orthopedic surgery, dermatology and melanoma, maternal health and pregnancy, pharmacy, dentistry, pain/anesthesiology, and primary care. 

“We are honored that these esteemed faculty and thought leaders joined our diversity and inclusion initiative, lending their voices to this roundtable,” said Shari Tordoff, senior vice president of CME Outfitters and mentor of the Latinx Female Entrepreneur Program. “They are leading the way in shining a light on health care inequities and disparities and their expertise in our discussion will provide invaluable perspectives to this initiative.”

The two-day virtual roundtable was moderated by Monica Peek, MD, MPH, MS, associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, and included a diverse lineup of experts and thought leaders. The roundtable incorporated candid conversations about ways to encourage health care professionals to examine their own biases, investigate the evidence demonstrating the impact of bias on underserved patient populations and create action items for change. Participants worked towards understanding the role of unconscious bias and disparities in their own specialty settings and ways to address these areas in their own practices, as well as the role of all members of the health care team in addressing bias and disparities. View video excerpts from the roundtable here.

“One of the beautiful blessings and insights CME Outfitters has had is bringing together all these different specialties. We know this to be true, but to see it among ourselves…we are all fighting the same fight,” said Dr. Peek. “No matter where we are in our universe, we are encountering the same issues.  And to be able to say ‘I am not alone in this…I’ve got a band of mighty warriors encountering the same thing [whom] I can call on’…has been uplifting and motivating…this is just the beginning.”

Presentation highlights from the roundtable will be published in a monograph certified for CME/CE credit.  Clinicians who participate in three or more activities will receive a digital badge credential in addressing unconscious bias and racial disparities. Additionally, short videos with Dr. Peek and faculty members highlighting key takeaways will also be available via the CME Outfitters website.

Agenda topics included:

• Unconscious Bias and Health Care Disparities: How Did We Get Here?
• The Role of Racism and Bias in Maternal Mortality 
• Skin of Color and Dermatology: Addressing Disparities in Care
• Addressing the Oral Health Inequities that Promote Health Disparities
• Promoting Health Equity with Language Concordant Care
• The Role of Virtual Care in Reducing Inequities and Improving Outcomes for Underserved Patients
• The Impact of Bias on Patients: The Patient Voice
• Unequal Burden and Unheard Voices of Pain: Disparities, Bias, and Stigma
• Understanding Biases and Disparities in Surgical Care and Patient Outcomes
• Unconscious Bias and Health Care Disparities: Cardiovascular Diseases
• Racism and Implicit Bias in Our Health Professions Learning Environment: History and Present Day
• The Role of the Pharmacist in Addressing Bias and Disparities

About the Faculty
Marc Cohen, MD, FACC, is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) in New Jersey.

Joia Adele Crear-Perry , MD, FACOG, is a physician, policy expert, thought leader, and advocate for transformational justice.

Carmen Renee Green, MD, is a tenured Professor of Anesthesiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Health Management & Policy at the University of Michigan’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

Hazel Harper, DDS, MPH, FACD, is the past President of the National Dental Association, the first African-American national spokesperson for the ADA, and the first Project Director of The Deamonte Driver Dental Project Model.

Otis Kirksey, PharmD, CDES, BC-ADM, currently serves as President-Elect of Health Care and Education for the American Diabetes Association.

Jason Knutson, DO, is a family practice provider with 12 years’ experience working for Avera Medical Group. 

Jenna Lester, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UCSF, where she practices and teaches general dermatology, and is the Founding Director of the Skin of Color Program.

Monica E. Peek, MD, MPH, MS, FACP (roundtable moderator) is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, where she provides clinical care, teaches and does health services research, with a focus on health disparities. 

Monica Vela, MD, FACP, is Professor of Medicine and Associate Vice Chair for Diversity within the Department of Medicine as well as Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs at the Pritzker School of Medicine. 

Augustus A. White III, MD, PhD, is an internationally-known, widely published authority on biomechanics of the spine, fracture healing and surgical and nonsurgical care of the spine. 

For additional information about the faculty of the educational roundtable, click here. Visit http://www.cmeoutfitters.com/meded4equity to stay up-to-date on the latest developments within this important initiative, or find us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About CME Outfitters
CME Outfitters develops, distributes and certifies continuing education activities that focus on the integration of the multidisciplinary care team to ensure the best care of patients. CME Outfitters’ educational interventions include interactive webcasts, live symposia, medical simulations, clinical case series and other innovative formats that leverage the latest in technology to optimize the learning environment and promote clinician and patient behavior changes. CME Outfitters also offers expert accreditation, outcome and logistics services for non-accredited organizations. In July of 2020, CME Outfitters became part of KnowFully Learning Group, a leading provider of continuing professional education and exam preparation courses to the health care and financial services sectors. For more information, visit www.cmeoutfitters.com.

About KnowFully
The KnowFully Learning Group is a leading provider of end-to-end professional education in the accounting, finance and health care sectors. KnowFully’s brands enable students and professionals to more efficiently prepare for and pass professional licensure exams, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials and leverage the comprehensive, practical, in-depth continuing education they need to remain at the forefront of their professions thereafter. KnowFully is backed by NexPhase Capital, LP, a thematic and operationally-focused private equity firm. For more information, please visit www.knowfully.com.

*Grant funding provided by the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies

Contacts:
Kirstin Crane
KnowFully Learning Group
Phone:  610-994-9600 ext. 530

Beth Cherry, RoseComm 
Phone: 301-500-9189