Dr. Skorton -
So well stated. My background is in political science, with 16 years as a Congressional staff member, and six years as a State Representative in Michigan's legislature and I never thought I would see what occurred on January 6 in our nation's capitol. Since our founding as a nation, we have been a Democracy focused on the law and our Constitution. I believe that a nation that no longer communally agrees to abide by the law and the Constitution cannot stand. We have a process (sometimes slow and cumbersome) to change laws and to amend the Constitution. What we saw Wednesday was an attempt to use violence and insurrection to change that process. I think we need to admit that we have extremists on both sides of the political aisle that have in many ways have attempted to subvert the process through violence and as a nation we cannot allow that to happen. People from both parties need to come together to seek common ground where we can and agree to disagree where we can't.
In your message you asked two questions: 1) What can AAMC do to bring healing and 2) What can we do as leaders in academic medicine in our communities.
1) I think AAMC must continue to maintain its leadership role in healthcare and education policy. Those are two extremely important issues facing our nation -- especially healthcare. Access to affordable health, healthcare quality, diversity of the healthcare workforce, addressing disparities in healthcare need to be central to our mission and to the mission of the AAMC and to the extent that AAMC can help all of us to lead in those efforts, we will be stronger together. We are often quick to judge law enforcement for being racist for everything from arrests to taking the lives of African-Americans -- and rightly so, but allowing someone's zip code to determine their health status is equally wrong, disparities in health outcomes is equally wrong and so to the extent that AAMC keeps those issues and self-reflection at the forefront (and helps us to make progress on those issues) it will assist with healing.
2) If we as leaders in academic medicine are going to lead on issues of healthcare disparities and access to affordable healthcare regardless of your zip code, we need to be engaged in community and we need to partner with other organizations in those communities. Issues of racism in our communities are not limited to law enforcement and I think healthcare leaders and academic medicine leaders need to stand up and accept the challenge of meeting the public health needs of the community, working with government and community partners to address the social determinants of health like housing, education, transportation, and access to food and medicine. Healing will not come until we have addressed the needs that our communities face. Words encouraging unity will also ring hollow if we are not inclusive in our own institutions and if our medical school student diversity doesn't match the communities that they are being trained in.
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Jerry Kooiman
Chief External Relations Officer/Assistant Dean
Michigan State University College of Human Medicin
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-08-2021 09:45
From: David Skorton
Subject: Our Role in Bringing Communities Together
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Colleagues:
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The events at our nation's Capitol this week were upsetting, frightening, and maddening to me. Although those of us living in Washington, D.C., were physically close to the events, all of the country, and far beyond, witnessed the impact of the violence and what it represented. How clearly I remember my late father, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, telling me of the thrill of moving to the United States, recognizing the values we place on civil discourse - including civil disobedience - and the rule of law based on the Constitution. How disappointed and angry he would have been if he witnessed this event.
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The extraordinary divisions in our country that were on full display across the globe this week will not be healed solely by the passing of leadership to a new administration, since as a country we have become more and more fragmented for some years. Each of us as individuals and as the community of academic medicine will need to play a part in moving toward healing.
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As my colleagues in the AAMC and as leaders in your communities, I ask you to consider two questions as our nation transitions to new leadership.
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First, what can I, the AAMC, and academic medicine do to help heal our national divisions? Education and health care are two matters of universal concern, and therefore, what the AAMC does every day can and should help to bring us together. Whether we are promoting ideals such as broadening access to health care, advancing education in the health sciences, increasing the diversity of our workforce, or addressing social determinants of health, I believe we have a role to play. The underlying factors that led to yesterday's events have roots that go far beyond recent political issues and the outcomes of elections. I wish to tackle those factors that are within our grasp and areas of expertise, since we have the passion and are contributors to the national dialogue.
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Second, what are your thoughts about what you can do as a leader in your community to help improve the climate of discourse and heal the divides within your own neighborhoods? How can you take part in these conversations as a community leader, even beyond the sphere of health care, education, and research? I wish to learn from you, as I know you can have significant influence in your own communities.
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As always, please write to me at AAMCPresident@aamc.org, or I welcome a community discussion here in the AAMC Communities network. Just reply to this post to add your comments. I look forward to hearing from you and to doing our part collectively to help our country.
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Thank you for all you do and for your partnership and friendship. Please stay in touch.
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All the best,
David
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David Skorton
President/CEO
Association of American Medical Colleges
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