In this month’s installment of Dean Termuhlen’s Take On …, Dr. Paula Termuhlen discusses the medical school’s vision of health equity for all in Southwest Michigan and the important work and community partnerships it will take to make that happen.
What is health equity and why is it important to WMed?
Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain the highest level of health. This definition from the CDC is important to us at WMed because it talks about things that we contribute to as an institution, such as access to care. If you don’t have fair access, then you can’t get the care you need. We want to create just access by training our learners to have the best understanding possible of the patients they serve.
Our vision at WMed is health equity for all in Southwest Michigan through innovation in the practice and study of medicine. How is WMed establishing itself as a leader in bringing this vision to fruition and what community partnerships will be vital in that effort?
The work around creating a fair and just opportunity for individuals to obtain the highest level of health is what a medical school is meant to do. That can only happen if we contribute to innovation and science. As the only medical school in Southwest Michigan, it is our job to lead this vision and bring it to life but we can’t do it in isolation. The only way we can do it is if we serve our community and partner with our community in this effort. Examples of the partnerships that are vital include our relationships with our local hospital partners. That manifests itself by our direct service to patients by our faculty, residents, and students practicing in local hospitals, in addition to supporting the clinical research that is part of our commitment to bringing the latest advances in medicine to our community. Another example of a community partnership that’s important to our vision is our work with Integrated Services of Kalamazoo. We know that mental health concerns have increased during and after the pandemic, in addition to the baseline care of individuals who suffer from mental illness. We actively provide care and support in collaboration with ISK to serve members of our community. Another partnership that is important is our work with other local educational institutions like Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, KVCC, and Kalamazoo Public Schools. Together, we can leverage our collective skills in education to ensure that the best and the brightest pursue careers in the healthcare field.
How does the medical school’s vision of health equity for all help guide and shape our efforts to expand global health initiatives at WMed?
In addition to what we do locally, we also know that we have a role to play in supporting global health. Like the kinds of activities that we participate in Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan, we also have a growing continuum of activity globally. For example, we’re developing opportunities for our students, residents, and faculty to learn more about how other high-income countries deliver their healthcare in efficient and effective ways, whether that be in Europe, South America, or even Asia. We know we have a lot to learn from countries that have embraced preventive medicine as they serve their populations. In addition, we provide direct healthcare in less-resourced areas of the world, including India, Madagascar, and Peru. We know that some of those programs play a vital role in serving the local populations. It also helps us better understand the patients we serve in Southwest Michigan by bringing about an awareness of cultural elements. This can translate to our care of the refugee populations we serve in our region. The more we learn about how others see the world, we’ll be better able to ask the right questions of our local immigrant and migrant populations. We will better understand their health needs and how to best provide the care they need. We know that the need is great in Southwest Michigan and around the world. We also know we have limited resources. We’re undertaking a process to help us understand where to best deploy our WMed resources and maximize our impact.
How will we know if our efforts around the promotion of health equity and the pursuit of health equity for all are successful?
The only way we’re going to know if we’re effective in this pursuit of health equity is if we develop ways of measuring our success. One simple measure of success, in terms of opening access, is tracking the number of WMed graduates who we are able to retain in our residencies and who ultimately practice in our community. Then we know we’ve done our job by being here as a place that’s creating a workforce that understands and starts to reflect the people we serve. Measures related to our community partnerships include reducing the infant mortality rate in Kalamazoo County with Cradle Kalamazoo or life expectancy rates based on zip codes in Kalamazoo and Calhoun County. This can inform whether our presence has made a difference. These are long-term goals that we must look at as a community and we know we play a vital role in that. We must continue to develop the best way to measure health equity and the idea that everyone in Southwest Michigan will have a fair and just opportunity to attain the highest level of health. The more we can bring the latest advances in healthcare to Kalamazoo and partner with our hospitals, we will be able to look back 20 years from now and say, yes, we made a difference. We know some of the metrics that we’re going to watch but there are others that need to be developed. The most recent community health needs assessments will help us understand what we can do to address the most significant needs of our community and how WMed can make an impact.
Dean’s Hat Tip
I would be remiss if I did not tip my hat to our Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) team, led by Mike Busha, MD, MBA, senior associate dean for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, Michele Serbenski, MA, senior associate dean for Institutional Advancement and Chief Strategy Officer, and the Self-Study Task Force. Mike and Michele coordinated a two-year effort involving documentation, process improvement, and preparation that culminated in a very successful site visit for our LCME reaccreditation. We had more than 120 faculty, staff, students, and residents who participated in the process, gave of their time, and prepared in a way that truly demonstrated their commitment to accreditation and excellence at WMed.
Dean Termuhlen’s Take On ... is a monthly message from our dean to discuss topics of importance to WMed, medical school stakeholders, and the communities that make up Southwest Michigan. Is there a topic you would like to hear Dean Termuhlen’s take on? Let us know by sending a message to office.dean@wmed.edu.