White Coats for Black Lives
Medical students at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health recently established a local chapter of White Coats for Black Lives, a national movement that aims to eliminate racial bias in the practice of medicine with the recognition that racism is a threat to the health and well-being of people of color. Last weekend, chapter members organized a rally around the Wisconsin state Capitol, drawing hundreds of supporters who listened as Black medical students, physicians, and community leaders challenged them to do the work to end systemic racism.
The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute have heard that challenge and reaffirm our founding principle that discrimination has no place in UW Alzheimer's disease programs. Alzheimer’s disease is more prevalent among African American people, with some studies showing their risk is double than that of white people. And African Americans tend to be diagnosed at a later stage of Alzheimer’s disease, which limits the effectiveness of treatment.
Our Alzheimer's disease program leadership team is developing a long-term plan that will emphasize solutions and changes across our systems to both reduce health disparities for African Americans and find ways to better support and empower physicians, researchers, staff, students, and trainees of color. We will share this plan with you this summer. We understand that increasing early diagnosis, developing prevention strategies, and ending Alzheimer’s disease will be successful only if we find solutions that work for every person, regardless of race and ethnicity.
Sincerely,
Sanjay Asthana, MD
Director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS
Director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute
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