77: Fighting Islamophobia in Medicine, Media, and Society
Key Insights:
Suzanne Barakat, M.D. experienced personal tragedy, and was forced to fight through her grief to combat islamophobia in medicine, media, and society.
- Reluctant Activist. Dr. Barakat’s Brother, his wife, and her sister were murdered by a white supremacist for being Muslim. Additionally, two of Dr. Barakat’s relatives were assassinated for their political activism and journalism, presumably by the Assad regime. Neither case received much media attention, and Dr. Barakat became a reluctant activist, fighting for media coverage and that the cases be investigated.
- Health and Human Rights Initiative. This initiative provides pro bono forensic medical evaluations for asylum seekers. Medical professionals perform a full physical exam and psychological evaluation to corroborate the stories of violence from asylum seekers. This process greatly increases the likelihood of obtaining asylum.
- What Leaders Can Do. Healthcare leaders have a responsibility to ensure that their workforce represents their patient demographic, this leads to better health outcomes and quality of care for patients. Additionally, leaders must play a role in making their staff feel valued and supported, and implement safe and anonymous ways to report violations.
This episode is hosted by Joanne Conroy, M.D. She is a member of the Advisory Council for Her Story and is the CEO and President of Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health.
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