Keynote at TLCI Forum says bold action is needed to drive DEI
- 18 Oct, 2022
- The Latino Cancer Institute
- 0 Comments
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When U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited a Sacramento COVID-19 vaccine clinic in late September, he thanked UC Davis Health for focusing its community immunization efforts to reach vulnerable populations. The clinic – actually a pop-up in a school multipurpose room – was part of an initiative headed by the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities (CRHD). Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, CRHD’s founding director, understands better than most that working with community partners like neighborhood schools is the best way to achieve equitable access to COVID vaccination.
When it came time to choose a keynote speaker for our 4th annual TLCI Forum on October 28th, where the focus will be on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola was a natural choice.
“DEI is essential for extending the scope and creativity of research that seeks to solve complex problems and reduce inequities in health,” says Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola. An expert in the field of disparities research, Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola and other national leaders in health equity called on the clinical and translational research community to center DEI in their work.
In a 2022 The New England Journal of Medicine perspective piece, they wrote “We believe that to generate sustained and tangible change, bold and visionary goals must be set.” For his keynote at our forum, Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola will focus on strategies for achieving DEI in those fields. And that’s just our kick-off. Other presenters will include Danielle Carnival, the White House #CancerMoonshot Coordinator, and Maria Millan, President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine who will discuss DEI in California’s Stem Cell Programs, and many more.
October is #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, and TLCI forum participants will hear the latest on efforts to advance knowledge of precision medicine and genetic risk of breast cancer among Latinas. And while we’re all about new innovations in breast cancer early detection, we find many women including Latinas still don’t get the basics, including mammography. A new survey by the Prevent Cancer Foundation (PCF) reveals alarming – but sadly not surprising – news. Almost half (49%) of women in the U.S. 40 and older have not had a breast cancer screening since March of 2020. The PCF findings show we can no longer blame the pandemic for low screening numbers. It has more to do with an information gap.
Their survey found that 47% of Latinas say they don’t know how often they should be screened for breast cancer, compared to only 37% of white women. While OB/GYNs are in the best position to remind women of routine cancer screenings, the survey findings suggest that social connections are key, yet too often women don’t remind their female friends and family members to get screened. We must do better if we are to save lives.
See you on October 28th!!!
Ysabel
