A 激情快播 medical student has received national recognition for her work in reducing healthcare disparities among minorities.
Hannah Wilson, a third-year doctor of medicine candidate, received the Excellence in Public Health Service Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award recognizes medical students鈥� contributions to public health in their community.
Tracy MacIntosh, associate dean of Access, Belonging and Community Engagement at 激情快播’s College of Medicine, congratulates Wilson on receiving this national recognition.
鈥淗annah鈥檚 strong commitment to health equity, demonstrated by her clinical research and community health experiences, make her a most deserving candidate for this award,鈥� MacIntosh says. 鈥淪he has led sustainable programs to inspire, mentor and support students from historically marginalized groups, and has consistently gone above and beyond the expectations of a medical student to serve in leadership and clinical capacities to address the needs of students and patients from marginalized groups.鈥�
At 激情快播, Wilson is a program leader for the Medical Enrichment for Diverse Students (M.E.D.S.), a project created by medical students that provides mentorship and clinical exposure to Orlando students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in medicine.
Students from Evans, Oakridge, and Jones high schools have benefitted from mentorship, clinical skills workshops, patient simulations and tours at the medical school. The goal is to increase representation in the medical field so healthcare providers better represent the patients they serve.
鈥淭his award means a lot to me,鈥� Wilson says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 do these things for the awards. I did these things because I was passionate about them. It鈥檚 nice to be recognized for it, especially coming to the end of my medical school career. It鈥檚 a good feeling that my work doesn鈥檛 go unnoticed.鈥�
Data shows a staggering gap in diversity among physicians compared to the general population. The Association of American Medical Colleges reported in 2019 that only 5% of physicians in the nation identify as Black and 5.8% as Hispanic. This lack of diversity among physicians has been correlated with poor healthcare outcomes among patients of color. Research has shown that patients from racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to receive better communication, culturally competent care and have improved health outcomes when treated by healthcare providers who share their racial or ethnic background.
鈥淢inority communities have a general mistrust of the healthcare system,鈥� Wilson says. “So when a patient walks into the room and sees someone that looks like them, they feel more comfortable sharing aspects of their story as to what brought them in. That can better help with diagnosis. And when they鈥檙e able to have that trust with the physician, they are more likely to follow the treatment plans, trusting that the doctor has their best interest.鈥�
Wilson has also served as president of the Student National Medical Association, where she led initiatives to help bring more awareness to healthcare disparities and issues faced by minority or marginalized communities.
She also volunteered with the Chapman Compassionate Care clinic, a student-run clinic that provides care to the homeless population in downtown Orlando. As community outreach coordinator, she educated patients on testing for sexually-transmitted diseases, used Narcan for drug overdoses and connected patients to relevant resources.
Also at 激情快播, Wilson pioneered the Bleeding with Dignity project geared at fighting period poverty by distributing menstrual hygiene products to those in need. Using funding she received from the College of Medicine鈥檚 Health Equity Scholars program, she packaged period care kits that were donated to student-run clinics and women鈥檚 shelters.
鈥淚 am very passionate about women鈥檚 health and that鈥檚 why I want to become an OB-GYN,鈥� Wilson says. 鈥淭he maternal mortality rate among Black women is very high, and I believe having that physician there who looks like [them] and will believe [their] concerns is one of the biggest ways to tackle that disparity.鈥�
