tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post631316730900045333..comments2024-03-25T04:29:48.343-07:00Comments on A Healthy Dialogue: We Cannot Accept Racial InjusticeJohn Chessare MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-70271012697286336382020-06-18T13:07:38.001-07:002020-06-18T13:07:38.001-07:00Thanks, Anonymous. This award has been established...Thanks, Anonymous. This award has been established to recognize a nurse or a group of nursing staff members who enhance integration, inclusion, and advocacy at GBMC HealthCare. Examples can be based on creating a positive environment for coworkers and/or patients and their families, exemplifying mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own. There are five criteria for this award that includes: how a nominee is inclusive of other staff, that are from different cultures, to ensure they are recognized as valuable members of the team, show that they’re culturally aware of the needs of a diverse population and assist with advocacy and breaking down barriers, and must demonstrate the traits that exemplify them as a nurse that enhances integration and inclusion.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-2823642340339470492020-06-18T13:05:17.530-07:002020-06-18T13:05:17.530-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-21451043953642785482020-06-18T13:02:09.958-07:002020-06-18T13:02:09.958-07:00Thanks, Anonymous. I do not see many white people ...Thanks, Anonymous. I do not see many white people outraged about black on black violence. I do not see protesting in the white community about the Baltimore murder rate and I believe it is because very few whites are murdered. Do you have evidence of the contrary?John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-13346387748404606472020-06-14T18:58:42.677-07:002020-06-14T18:58:42.677-07:00Some like to push their own political agenda’s and...Some like to push their own political agenda’s and if you do not agree with their point of view you are not in the click, leaving room for those who go along with their views. When you walk in the room they stop talking and whisper when you leave. This isn’t something new and it isn’t just about racism and it is insulting Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-26884014421309552572020-06-12T15:52:57.187-07:002020-06-12T15:52:57.187-07:00What criteria(s) have been used to choose the winn...What criteria(s) have been used to choose the winner of the nursing diversity award?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-34223405785955005832020-06-10T13:36:54.562-07:002020-06-10T13:36:54.562-07:00Dr. Chessare, I was a little disappointed to see y...Dr. Chessare, I was a little disappointed to see you agree with of the commentators that "there is no outcry about black on black crime". I think in this situation a little (self)education would go a long way. Just because you and many others are not aware of the outcry does not mean there has not been one. Furthermore, did you know that according to the Bureau of Justice statistics intraracial violence occurs at essentially the same rates? I appreciate you even facilitating this conversation because it is a tough one to have; I just didn't want more misinformation perpetuated given the position you hold at the hospital and community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-21796668476596686172020-06-09T07:11:58.327-07:002020-06-09T07:11:58.327-07:00Thanks, Nicholas. GBMC has moved into the City of ...Thanks, Nicholas. GBMC has moved into the City of Baltimore at the Helping Up Mission to become a part of the solution. COVID-19 slowed us down a bit but we want to become a part of the solution for the poor in our city. We placed a photo of #WhiteCoatsforBlackLives on our Infoweb as well but we think we need to take action on the part of the problem that we could help with. John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-42260213194342037382020-06-09T07:10:24.453-07:002020-06-09T07:10:24.453-07:00Thanks, Anonymous. I understand your message to be...Thanks, Anonymous. I understand your message to be that we have moved beyond the time of talk. GBMC has been in action but we can and will do more. I believe that we need to stay focused on bringing better healthcare to underserved neighborhoods. Our Board has set a leadership goal for us to hire more underrepresented minorities into management positions. This year so far, we are achieving our goal with 32% of new managers being minorities. We routinely recruit at Baltimore’s HBCU’s, most notably, Morgan State. John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-24343009334371591602020-06-09T07:08:51.430-07:002020-06-09T07:08:51.430-07:00I agree, Unknown. We have only recently begun to q...I agree, Unknown. We have only recently begun to query the social determinants of health of our primary care patients and begun to work with community partners to address the social determinants.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-43999747675478275812020-06-09T07:07:56.048-07:002020-06-09T07:07:56.048-07:00Thanks, Henry. I agree that the larger society mus...Thanks, Henry. I agree that the larger society must take action to narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots. John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-39469568124561585522020-06-08T11:35:52.973-07:002020-06-08T11:35:52.973-07:00Dr. Chessare, thank you for publicly acknowledging...Dr. Chessare, thank you for publicly acknowledging this critical issue and for committing to undertake actions to address the problem of racism. This is truly a "which side are you on" moment and I am proud to see my GBMC family standing up for racial justice.<br /><br />Many large corporations such as Amazon and JP Morgan Chase have issued prominent statements condemning police brutality, standing with Black Lives Matter, and committing to specific actions the companies will take (see the front pages of their websites). Johns Hopkins Hospital is featuring their #WhiteCoatsforBlackLives action on their front page. Could GBMC do something similar?Nicholas Davenport, LCSWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-13010453164652514452020-06-07T19:47:55.991-07:002020-06-07T19:47:55.991-07:00Thank you for your statement Dr. Chessare. Based o...Thank you for your statement Dr. Chessare. Based on many of the comments I see there will still be a long way to go for our community to truly acknowledge the lasting effects of systemic oppression. Some people may never get there and that's OK - even during the Civil Rights Movement over 80 years ago, there were those that never wanted to accept the movement of the times yet now we look back and say "how could people accept those conditions! Of course a change was needed!"<br /><br />You responded to another comment and asked "what more can GBMC do?" This is the time for introspection and to realize there is always more to be done. A few examples:<br /><br />1) How has GBMC benefitted from systemic racism? Do the employees and surrounding community know what laws and influences allowed a hospital like GBMC and a community like Towson to flourish? Did Towson benefit from redlining? Does your community (or staff) know what that even is? Perhaps a way to start is to establish a Task Force that will examine the ways in which GBMC was able to be established and make the information public so that we can truly educate ourselves on how systemic racism affects each and every one of us.<br /><br />2) Your statement mentions that you have committed yourself to increasing the hiring and training of underrepresented minorities which is wonderful. What, if any, relationship does GBMC have with the HBCUs in Maryland? By initiating and fostering such relationships you can provide opportunities in medicine, business, administration, IT, etc. There is a lack of diversity in your physician staff, your nursing staff and your administration. Yet there is overrepresentation in cleaning and sanitation services. This is not happenstance and should be examined.<br /><br />3) Finally, what are the financial contributions and donations that GBMC makes? Where else could funds be directed (or redirected) to combat racial injustice specifically in Baltimore.<br /><br />We all have work to do and I believe the coming weeks and months will truly show who is committed to doing that work and effecting real change in our country. Thank you for reading.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-17366807400603480442020-06-05T08:55:31.353-07:002020-06-05T08:55:31.353-07:00Anonymous, my intention was to reassure the GBMC f...Anonymous, my intention was to reassure the GBMC family that we will not tolerate treating people with anything other than respect no matter what color, religion or country of origin. John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-30841070018055615622020-06-05T08:54:45.642-07:002020-06-05T08:54:45.642-07:00I agree with you, unknown. I don’t think I was dis...I agree with you, unknown. I don’t think I was discussing politics.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-77123121144063650712020-06-05T08:49:01.389-07:002020-06-05T08:49:01.389-07:00Thank you, UnkownThank you, UnkownJohn Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-44096373370153750042020-06-05T08:48:16.151-07:002020-06-05T08:48:16.151-07:00Thanks, TeenaThanks, TeenaJohn Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-70848567401398098292020-06-05T07:34:03.057-07:002020-06-05T07:34:03.057-07:00Yes, and this is why we went back into the city at...Yes, and this is why we went back into the city at the Helping Up Mission and we are looking for other places/neighborhoods to help.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-33902371422747286682020-06-05T07:28:31.649-07:002020-06-05T07:28:31.649-07:00We will post it on our website. It is hanging in o...We will post it on our website. It is hanging in our main lobby as it has for many years. Our Board currently has 5 African American members out of 25 total.John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-56271932923738945502020-06-05T07:28:07.395-07:002020-06-05T07:28:07.395-07:00Thanks, Anonymous. We know that we have to improve...Thanks, Anonymous. We know that we have to improve the website. We have tried very hard to get the word out. What other ideas do you have?John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-24968569094116862162020-06-05T07:20:51.702-07:002020-06-05T07:20:51.702-07:00Thank you Mr. Eyon. I agree that there has not bee...Thank you Mr. Eyon. I agree that there has not been public outcry over the black on black violence. I also agree that talk is cheap. We have tried to become a part of the solution to the very complex problems of our city that begin with income inequality. Here are two blogs on the issue that I have written over the last year.<br />https://ahealthydialogue.blogspot.com/2019/11/gun-violence-is-public-health-issue.html<br />https://ahealthydialogue.blogspot.com/2019/11/moving-proximate.htmJohn Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-90970959782413129392020-06-05T07:19:17.227-07:002020-06-05T07:19:17.227-07:00Unity will never come without justice. I am sorry ...Unity will never come without justice. I am sorry if you found my words to be “damning us all and our country”. That was clearly not my intent. My intent was to let people know that we don’t condone people being treated differently according to race. I believe that those that do are clearly in the minority. Racism may be as old as man, but that does not make it right. I do consider your words and thank you for expressing your opinion. John Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-65787839909752453812020-06-05T07:11:56.005-07:002020-06-05T07:11:56.005-07:00These posts are available to all who have internet...These posts are available to all who have internet access at https://ahealthydialogue.blogspot.comJohn Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-61357694874079051372020-06-05T07:11:30.381-07:002020-06-05T07:11:30.381-07:00I agree with you, Concerned Person. We should all ...I agree with you, Concerned Person. We should all be appalled if this happens to anyone and clearly, fighting and rioting is not the answer. However, I don’t see the cases of white people dying at the hands of the police. I am curious about the response if the deaths in police custody mirrored the racial makeup of the population. I must also state that this is the behavior of a few. The overwhelming majority of police men and women are outstanding people who put their lives on the line for us. We cannot sweep them up with the few who are doing these horrible thingsJohn Chessare MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16921654505743608351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-972434786164967802020-06-03T13:07:03.181-07:002020-06-03T13:07:03.181-07:00I agree with your sentiment, but some real action ...I agree with your sentiment, but some real action can be taken on this at GBMC. How well do Dr.s listen to black patients who describe pain, can you look at how easily opiods are prescribed to white folks and not black? When working with folks on lifestyle change are you examining the context with which they come to you, do they live in a food dessert, are they a caregiver to many and therefore not situated to care for themselves first. REAL programmatic things can take place on these issues. What are the programs you're creating to make a better health baseline for black folks who work for you? More, free and robust services to them to try to get them back to an equitable health status. Wellness programs for well white people are not too useful, wellness should be aimed at those with the most to gain, and we know this to be our oppressed communities.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13924622695581098183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-597716632228519200.post-61016750485595171312020-06-03T12:38:20.521-07:002020-06-03T12:38:20.521-07:00It's important to eliminate racism, but it'...It's important to eliminate racism, but it's equally important to eliminate systems that cause the rich to get richer and the poor and middle class to get poorer. As long as people fear sinking into poverty, they're going to try to get ahead at the expense of any "other" group they can discriminate against. If all the people had access to health care even when they get sick, if everyone could depend on a basic level of financial security, then everyone could afford to be magnanimous to all other people no matter their race, creed or national origin.<br /><br />The goal of eliminating disparities in race is so closely tied to the economic situation that it's impossible to deal with one without dealing with the other. GBMC can advocate the elimination of racism, but it must also advocate for the elimination of governmental policies that aim at increasing the value of the S&P 500, and index that makes the rich richer and everyone else poorer.Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06134228576665704788noreply@blogger.com