On Friday, July 22, the CCTST hosted Dr. Nneka Sederstrom, PhD, MPH, MA, FCCP, FCCM, for a Grand Rounds entitled, “A Brief History of Racism in Medicine: Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We Hope to Go”.

This talk provided critical history of how racism shaped medicine and the experience of populations of color within the medical field. It also provided an overview of our present, and how we can make the future of medicine better for everyone.

Dr. Sederstrom began her career at the Center for Ethics at Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. After beginning her PhD studies at Howard University in medical sociology and race, class, and gender inequalities, she was made director of the Center for Ethics and director of the Spiritual Care Department. She proceeded to hold these positions until she left to join Children’s Minnesota in March 2016 where she served as the director of the Clinical Ethics Department for almost 5 years. She has recently joined the executive leadership team at Hennepin Healthcare System as the new chief health equity officer where she will lead efforts in addressing health disparities, equity, and antiracism in the institution and community. She is a member of several professional societies and holds a leadership position in CHEST Medicine and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

This talk was also aligned with our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals; since implementing our strategies to increase invited lecturers who identify as underrepresented minorities (URM) in 2020, the number of URM speakers has increased from 13% to 29%.

Dr. Sederstrom’s talk, along with a PDF of her presentation, can be found in CTRonline.