Resolving to be socially responsible
Colleagues,
Please accept my warmest holiday wishes to you and your families.
As we look ahead to 2020, allow me to once again reflect with you on New Year’s resolutions. We make these because we want to be better, healthier and happier versions of ourselves. But what about our communities? Can our resolutions improve the health of our neighbours?
One of the core values of Schulich Medicine & Dentistry centres around social responsibility and accountability. It is with this theme in mind that I look to focus on both the scholarship and humanitarian efforts of the students and residents at the Windsor Campus.
Attending the American College of Physicians' Annual Meeting last month, I had the pleasure to listen to American civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson discuss race and poverty. Among the many points he made, none stood out to me more than his call for proximity. He reminded the crowd that, “diversity doesn’t happen by itself, inclusion and greater empathy don’t happen by themselves. We have to work at them. We have to commit ourselves even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable.”
Looking around the communities we serve, it is obvious that there are needs that are not being met.
When 33 per cent of children in parts of Windsor are living in poverty, we all have a problem. When larger and larger portions of our population struggle with addictions, we all have a problem. When rates of mental health problems rise while access to professionals fall, we all have a problem.
Ask yourself how your patients’ social world is contributing to their health, but more importantly, how we can intervene on this downward trend.
The School has a mandate to be socially responsible. I intend to live up to this. Let’s focus our energy, our scholarship and our healing on these at-risk populations. Let’s get closer and more proximate to the sick we mean to heal.
I ask you to join me. If you have an idea, or just want to be involved, let me know. Let’s plan for a healthier Windsor-Essex.
As always, thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Larry
Twitter: @larry_jacobs1
