Managing Microaggressions: What to Do When It Gets Personal Webinar Series

Hosted by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgeon Well-Being Program, ACS' Committee on Diversity Issues, International Relations Committee, and Women in Surgery Committee.

Microaggressions are behaviors, speech, or actions that subtly and usually unconsciously or unintentionally express a prejudiced attitude towards an individual of a minority group.* Research shows that continued exposure to microaggressions in the workplace causes decreased performance, heightened stress response, loss of sense of confidence and well-being, and poor overall health in the long term.

(Recorded on April 15, 2021)

In Part 1, a panel of speakers discusses various types of microaggressions, how microaggressions affect many populations both nationally and internationally, the cumulative effect of microaggressions, and gives an introduction to management and coping strategies. The second webinar will discuss the management and coping strategies when facing microaggressions as the receiver and upstander.

Panel

Laurel C. Soot, MD, FACS
Assistant vice president, Medical Management for Health Care Services, Providence Health Plan

Dr. Soot currently serves full time as the assistant vice president of Medical Management for Health Care Services within the Providence Health Plan, OR. She graduated from the University of Washington Medical School and completed her general surgery internship and residency at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). During her time in active surgical practice, she was a clinical associate professor in surgery at OHSU and Providence Regional Medical director of breast health, and the executive vice president of The Oregon Clinic. Dr. Soot now serves as courtesy staff at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers. Dr. Soot has authored numerous publications, been involved in clinical research, and has held multiple leadership positions within the ACS, The Oregon Clinic, and the Providence St. Joseph Health system. Her positions within the ACS have included Governor Oregon ACS, Advisory Council of General Surgery and Chair of the Young Fellows Association. Dr. Soot is also actively involved with advocacy and health care reform at the state and the national levels.

Linda K. Barry, MD, MPH, FACS
Associate professor of surgery and director of multicultural and community affairs, University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Linda K. Barry, MD, FACS, is an associate professor of surgery and director of multicultural and community affairs at University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She is a board-certified liver and pancreas surgeon with a unique background in both clinical and basic science research. Dr. Barry focuses her work as director of multicultural and community affairs on initiatives to promote diversity among students, residents, and faculty. She also facilitates community-based opportunities to address health disparities via mentored experiences and research. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to mentoring and recruiting both underrepresented and women students into medicine and the field of Surgery which resulted in the establishment of the Young Innovative Investigator Program to address the shortage of minority scientists. Dr. Barry’s profession experience and life’s work focuses on addressing health disparities in health care delivery and research and community engagement initiatives that promote health and well-being of the underserved populations around the U.S. and within the Greater Hartford region. She is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and holds membership and executive positions with several Connecticut-based alliance, foundations, and state councils focused on programs and projects addressing health disparities.

Dr. Barry holds a BA from Yale University, New Haven, CT, in psychobiology; a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, New York; and a masters in public health from Columbia University School of Public Health.

Amelia Grover, MD, FACS
Professor of surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Grover is a professor of surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond. She is also the medical director for the Endocrine Tumor Multidisciplinary Program and chair of the surgery department Committee for Development, Engagement and Wellness, associate chair for faculty development for the department of surgery, and director of professionalism, engagement and wellness for the School of Medicine at VCU. Dr. Grover is trained in surgical oncology and specializes in breast and endocrine surgery. She is passionate about resident and faculty talent development and engagement and services as the of its workforce. She believes that a diverse workforce will be better suited for solving issues of health care disparity and creating innovative answers to the challenges we face.

Dr. Grover graduated from Barnard College-Columbia, New York, NY, and obtained her medical degree from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. She completed an internship and residency at William Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Grover was a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute-National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Dr. Grover is an active member of the ACS and is Chair of the ACS Committee on Diversity Issues.

Christine Lai, MBBS, DDU, FRACS, FACS
Senior staff specialist, breast endocrine unit, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Dr. Lai is a senior staff specialist on the breast endocrine unit at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia. She also is the hospital supervisor of general surgical training and a senior clinical lecturer of The University of Adelaide.

In addition, Dr. Lai serves on multiple national and state level committees within the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). She is a fellowship-elected councillor on the bi-national RACS Council (Board of Directors), Deputy Treasurer of RACS, Chairperson of Women in Surgery Committee, and a past chair of the Younger Fellows Committee. She has been involved with championing the RACS Building Respect and Improving Cultural Safety campaigns and Diversity and Inclusion Plan, as well as chairing the Foundation Skills for Surgical Educators course working group.

Heena Santry, MD, FACS
Acute care surgeon and health services researcher, Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center

Dr. Santry is an acute care surgeon and health services researcher. She is an associate professor with tenure, vice-chair for Health Services Research, and founding director of the Center for Surgical Health Assessment, Research and Policy (SHARP) in the department of surgery at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Dr. Santry utilizes qualitative research, survey research, epidemiology, and geographic information systems to study emergency general surgery care delivery and outcomes with a focus on socioeconomic disparities and vulnerable populations. Her work has been funded by the NIH, PCORI, and AHRQ. She is passionate about diversity, inclusion, and professional equity as well. As a health care leader, she strives to help health systems, providers, and researchers ensure high-quality health care, promote health equity, foster diverse and inclusive teams, and empower meaningful personal and professional lives. In her free time, Dr. Santry enjoys snuggling with her two lap dogs, being a spectator for her children's excessive extracurricular activities, running half marathons, hosting last minute parties, and pretending to be crafty. Dr. Santry is a member of the ACS Committee on Diversity Issues.

(Recorded on June 9, 2021)

Join a panel of experts as we continue explore the relationship between microaggressions and surgeon well-being. This webinar will feature a discussion on how to manage and cope with microaggressions as the receiver and upstander.

Panel

Wendy R. Greene, MD, FACS, FCCM
Director, Acute and Critical Care Surgery, Emory University Hospital

Dr. Greene is as associate professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, Director of the Acute and Critical Care Surgery Service and the Site Director for the Acute Care Surgery Fellowship of Emory University Hospital. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Greene is the co-chair for the Emory URiM Affinity Group and the Emory Critical Care Center Diversity Equity Inclusion. Dr. Greene is an experienced researcher with interests in the evaluation of Disparities, Frailty and outcomes in geriatric trauma, acute care surgery and critical care. She has also studied a clinical translational link from researched interventions to population-based applications in the area of Screening Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) education and training programs. She received her MD from the Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC. Her postgraduate medical training included a residency in general surgery at Howard University Hospital, a reconstructive surgery residency at George Washington University, a surgical critical care fellowship at the Washington Hospital Center, and a trauma critical care fellowship at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. She is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, National Medical Association, Southeastern Surgical Society, Society of Black Academic Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Society of University Surgeons, American College of Critical Care Medicine and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

Asmaa Al-Rashed, MD, FACS
Assistant program director, Surgical Foundation Program, Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization and clinical lecturer of surgery, general and bariatric Surgery

Dr. Asmaa Al-Rashed is a general and a bariatric surgeon in the department of surgery and an intensivist in the department of critical care and anesthesia in Al-Amiri Hospital in Kuwait and Neocare Medical Center. She is also the assistant program director of the Surgical Foundations Program in Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization (KIMS), a clinical tutor, and a lecturer for three postgraduate programs: the Kuwaiti Boards of Surgery, Critical Care, and PharmaD with a research and clinical focus on the standardization of the care of patients with obesity and bariatric and metabolic surgery. Dr. Al-Rashed is a fierce advocate for empowering women in surgery, she is the founder and the chair of the Women Surgeons Committee (WSC) in the Kuwait Association of Surgeons and has championed the historical documentation and led many activities in tackling gender equity in surgery in the Gulf and the Middle East among many other accomplishments. Additionally, she is a co-founder of the Women Surgeons of Kuwait Research Network (WSKRN) that has encouraged and created research opportunities for many surgeons, physicians, and students. Under her leadership, the WSKRN has spearheaded the production of clinical guidelines during the COVID-19 crisis and conducted research, educational, and learning activities. She received her training in general surgery at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada with board certification in general surgery. She completed a critical care fellowship at McGill University and a laparoscopic bariatric and metabolic surgery fellowship in Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. Dr. Al-Rashed is a Fellow of the Royal college of Surgeons of Canada and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Brian Williams, MD, FACS
Associate professor of trauma and acute care surgery, University of Chicago

Dr. Brian Williams is a proud Air Force Academy alum, and an associate professor of trauma and acute care surgery at the University of Chicago. On July 7, 2016, he led the trauma team that treated police officers ambushed by a sniper at a racial justice protest in Dallas, TX. At a press conference days later, his heartfelt comments about the tragedy was named by Huffington Post as one of the most memorable television moments of 2016. Dr. Williams graduated from the Academy with honors and a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. After six years on active duty, he followed a different call to serve and enrolled at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He completed surgery residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and fellowships in trauma and surgical critical care at Grady Memorial Hospital (Emory University). As a trauma surgeon, speaker, and author, Dr. Williams dedicates his time working to end gun violence and advance healthcare justice. To learn more, he invites you to contact him at BrianWilliamsMD.com, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Cherisse Berry, MD, FACS
Associate trauma medical director and assistant professor of surgery, New York University School of Medicine and Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery

Dr. Cherisse Berry, born and raised in Kansas City, MO, completed her undergraduate degree in neuroscience with a minor in French at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. She went on to complete her master's degree in biology at Harvard University, MD at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, and general surgery residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. She spent three years at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center/University of Maryland where she completed an acute care surgery fellowship and trauma research fellowship before joining the division of acute care surgery at New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Berry is double board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Dr. Berry has had a formidable interest in research, diversity/equity/inclusion, and trauma systems. She has 54 peer-reviewed published manuscripts, received the 2021 AAMC Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship Award, the 2016 Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) Trauma Research Scholarship in addition to institutional funding for her research, was selected as an NIH Early Career Reviewer, and has held numerous leadership roles on various local, regional, and national committees including vice chair of the 2021 Association of Women Surgeons Program Committee, Chair of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons Women in Surgery Committee, Chair of the New York City Regional Trauma Advisory Council Systems Committee, Co-Chair of the New York State Trauma Advisory Committee Systems Subcommittee, and Governor (Manhattan Council) of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Berry is a surgeon scientist committed to ending racial and ethnic health disparities and to closing the gap in achieving health equity.

* https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microaggression

†Pascoe EA, Smart Richman L. Perceived discrimination and health: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2009;135(4):531-554. doi:10.1037/a0016059