My statement on national unrest and systemic racism

Our role as health educators, researchers and practitioners is to teach, investigate and care for people. 

It is also our role to call out injustices and disparities and actively work on solutions that benefit the overall health of all communities. 

Systemic racism is a public health crisis.  Research supports this and we’ve seen it with our own eyes in our practices and most recently with the COVID-19 pandemic which has disproportionately affected Black Americans. 

Addressing health disparities is something we at Edson College are passionate about and it is a focal point of many of our programs. However, this moment has shown us that we must do more, especially at the policy and interprofessional level.

My colleagues and fellow board members from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing said it best, “Together, academic nursing leaders and the larger healthcare community must rally against pervasive inequities in society and move forward with empathy, inclusiveness, and collective action.” 

With that in mind, our next steps college-wide include answering President Michael Crow’s call to come up with new initiatives, programs and ideas to drive new solutions to accelerate social transformation and justice.

Please know that this is not a one-time commitment or a one-way conversation. We are a public institution deeply embedded in our communities and as such devoted to doing this work day in and day out. And, I am always open to your ideas and suggestions on ways we can do better.