Advocacy

An integral part of the MD student experience is Community Learning and Social Medicine, which grew out of an elective course developed by Maura George, MD and Jada Bussey-Jones, MD. This four-year structured learning experience combines community service with preparation, action and reflection. Learners work with over 50 community-based organizations/partners focused on one of four underserved or disadvantaged populations including elderly, disabled, economically disadvantaged, and immigrant/refugee populations.

Dr. Maura George and Tracey Henry, MD, MPH serve as the Co-Directors of the Health Equity, Advocacy and Policy track across all medical residencies and health professional programs at Emory.

Dr. Henry is the Emory School of Medicine DEI Advocacy Director. She serves as and Director of the Health Policy and Advocacy curriculum for the Internal Medicine Primary Care residents that includes lectures, reverse classrooms and experiential experiences in advocacy.

Marshall Fleurant, MD, MPH is Chair of the Society of General Internal Medicine’s Health Equity Commission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when SGIM’s operations went virtual, Dr. Fleurant organized members of the Health Equity Committee to create a position statement for SGIM on "Ensuring Equity Amidst the COVID 19 Pandemic." He organized a team of clinical researchers and educators to kick off a webinar series on COVID 19 and Health Equity that occurred almost every month, recruiting top speakers from around the country to speak on various issues affecting underserved populations during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Stan Sonu, MD, MPH is an expert in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed care, and the integration of social determinants of health with clinical care. He is passionate about teaching about ACEs, training future clinicians on effective ways to address trauma in the primary care setting, and changing our health care system to deliver the highest-quality care to underserved and disadvantaged communities.

• Dr. Maura George, Dr. Erica Heiman, Dr. Tracey Henry, and Dr. Stacie Schmidt have completed the Society for General Internal Medicine’s Leadership in Health Policy training program.
• Dr. Tracey Henry won the Emory at Grady Advocacy Award in 2021.
• GIM faculty won Best Quality Poster and Best DEI poster at Emory SOM Health Equity Day 2021.

• Addressing and Inspiring Vaccine Confidence in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. Open Forum Infect Dis (2021). Marcelin JR; Swartz TH; Bernice F; Berthaud V; Christian R; da Costa C; Fadul N; Floris-Moore M; Hlatshwayo M; Johansson P, Kullar R, Manning K et al.
• Spheres of Influence and Strategic Advocacy for Equity in Medicine. J Gen Intern Med (2021). Karches K; DeCamp M; George M; et al
• Protecting and Expanding Medicaid Access: Confronting Health Disparities Compounded by COVID-19. Popul Health Manag (2021). Mulligan MJ; Henry TL; Bracey JE
• A Comprehensive Policy Framework to Understand and Address Disparities and Discrimination in Health and Health Care: A Policy Paper From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med (2021). Atiq O, Hilden D, Beachy M, Brislen H, Curry W, Dhingra M, Engel L, Henry TL et al for the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians
• Adverse childhood experiences in African Americans: Framework, practice, and policy.
  Am Psychol (2021). Hampton-Anderson JN; Carter S; Fani N; Gillespie CF; Henry TL; Holmes E; Lamis DA; LoParo D; Maples-Keller JL; Powers A, Sonu S, Kaslow N.
• Racism and Health in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine (2020). Serchen J; Doherty B; Atiq O; Henry TL et al for the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians
• Addressing social determinants of health in primary care: perception and practice
  (2020). Treadway N; Alden K; Shah R; Angelo S; Jeff-Eke M; Edelson C; Henry T; Schmidt S; Bussey-Jones JC; George M
• Advocacy in Action: a Comprehensive Student-Led Proactive Outreach to Patients at Highest Risk. J Gen Intern Med. (2022). Goldstein RS, Greenhouse AR, Om A, Ward CR, Marshburn L, Bradley CD, Henry TL, George M.