May 2014 NEWSLETTER Celebrating Diversity Acceptance, Respect, Understanding, Inclusion HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Committees , & Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality Mental Illness: An overwhelming social stigma over both the illnesses and their external Overlooked Minority symptoms prevent consumers from by Michael Gray, JD, MUP obtaining college degrees, employ- Executive Director, NAMI Louisville ment, and even the personal rela- tionship that most people take for Our society contains many un- granted. Their struggle for inclusion derrepresented minority groups, is tragically similar to other minority designations of people whose por- groups in this country’s past and tion of the population is not reflect- present. ed in political leadership, higher education enrollment, high-paying What is a Minority? jobs, and other functions, and some Think about what it means to be institutions take proactive steps to Michael Gray, Executive Director, NAMI Louisville a minority. It is not simply a matter include minority groups in life- strides towards inclusion and better of population statistics, i.e. there enriching activities. In many cases, representation throughout the are fewer members of one group they are required to do so by feder- twentieth century, and they contin- than there are of another. It also al law. Underrepresented minori- ue to do so today. Women, while means that a group of people have ties continue to make progress to- not a statistical minority, had no little or no voice in their communi- wards full inclusion in education physical presence in the business, ty’s leadership structure. It means and the job market, but one sizable academic, or political world until that when they go to work, take group of people faces an uphill after decades of fighting for reform. their children to school, visit a doc- battle with public perception that While women continue to increase tor’s office, or vote, the supervisor, impairs their ability to thrive: peo- their numbers in professional fields, classroom teacher, physician, and ple suffering from severe mental they are still significantly outnum- politicians on the ballot look, illness. bered by men in the most fulfilling sound, and maybe even think The public tends to think of the professions, including healthcare, differently than them. People who mentally ill as violent, unpredicta- where male physicians earn twenty look and sound different from you ble people with little chance of -five percent more than their fe- do not always understand and ap- functioning in society, but health male counterparts. People of color preciate your values. Even when care professionals know that is un- fought a similar struggle in the mid- they do, perceived differences true. In fact, people suffering from twentieth century and they contin- among people of different ethnici- mental illness, or “consumers” as ue to strive for workplace equality ties, national origins, religions, sex- they are generally known among today. More recently, the LGBT ual orientations, etc. create com- mental health providers, given the community has been on a roller- munication barriers and prevent correct diagnosis and a treatment coaster ride of victories and set- the cooperation necessary to advo- plan that manages their symptoms, backs as public policy adapts to pre- cate for inclusion in society. are just as capable as the general vent discrimination on the basis of Minorities in Louisville and population. However, inconsistent across the country made enormous (Continued on page 7) outcomes from treatments and an School of Dentistry News P. 2 School of Medicine News P. 3 School of Nursing News P. 4 School of Public Health and Information Sciences News P. 5 Office of Diversity and Inclusion News P. 6 Upcoming Events P. 10 babies when they Did you know? School of Dentistry clean pacifiers by sticking them in Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of their own mouths or by children, five times more prevalent than asthma The Importance of Oral Children living below the poverty level are more sharing spoons. Poor oral than 100% more likely to have experienced dental Health in Children health also contributes to a caries than children in families with incomes above by Liliana Rozo Gaeth, DDS person’s low self-esteem the poverty level Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of and poor social interaction. Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic Blacks experi- Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, and Dental caries, tooth de- ence the greatest racial/ethnic oral health dispari- Special Care ties among children cay, is the single most com- Approximately 30% of Louisville-area children have Ideally, oral health education mon chronic childhood dis- untreated tooth decay related to children starts when par- ease and often remains a ents are informed by their physi- chronic disease throughout the need to establish a dental home as cians about the importance of den- lives of many in the United States soon as their baby’s first tooth tal care for pregnant women. How- as well as around the world. The erupts, as recommended by the ever, many parents are still una- recommendations regarding how to American Academy of Pediatric ware that optimal maternal oral prevent tooth decay, and create a Dentistry (AAPD). hygiene during pregnancy may de- lifetime of healthy habits for chil- A dental home will help parents crease the amount of caries or cavi- dren includes establishing a dental become familiar with their child's ty–producing oral bacteria that can home for your child and making dental and oral health milestones, be transmitted to their baby. Moth- regular visits for checkups with a such as oral hygiene habits, normal pediatric dentist. It is very im- ers with cavities can transmit caries (Continued on page 10) -producing oral bacteria to their portant that parents recognize the And the 2014 UofL Dental Hygiene Hinman Recipient is... by Rachel Quick, MEd and Linda Lewis, RDH, MEd When the presence of DH Senior April Key was requested for a faculty meeting, she had no idea what to expect. In fact, she thought it may have been in reprimand from a clinic incident involving her hunger pains and a piece of chocolate that mysteriously dis- appeared. Anxiously awaiting her requested time, she found relief and joy as she real- ized the faculty had selected her as the 2014 ULSD Dental Hygiene Hinman Scholar. The DH Program was proud to capture this photo moment surprise. Every year, a dental hygiene and dental student are awarded this honor and receive a partial expense paid trip for the ceremonial event, which occurs annually in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center. Scholar recipients receive a $750 scholarship and are honored April Key, DH 2014, Hinman Scholar during a luncheon held at the Hinman Meeting. April has 3 sisters and 1 brother. Her parents have always taught her to do her best and made her feel like she was capable of anything. Key’s family has been very supportive throughout her entire life and she thanks God for all of them. Aside from God, her family comes first. Key attended Iroquois High School, which had amazing faculty that really wanted their students to succeed. After she graduates, Key plans on becoming a pilot and spreading the gospel through Dentistry. Then, she would love to get her Master’s Degree in Public Health so she can have more opportunities to do that. Ultimately, Key would want people to know that her faith has been in God for eve- rything and that through God all things are possible. “I pray that God would use me in a mighty way and to be the woman of God he has called me to be. Without him, everything is meaningless and I give him the glory. “ 2 and jai alai (a 3-walled School of Medicine ball game) occur quite frequently. Once you The Puzzler learn these words, getting a start in by Lawrence Wasser, MD, FAAP a puzzle becomes easier. Associate Professor of Pediatrics FITB clues (fill in the blank) are often easier and provide a starting Students and residents who ro- point. Once you have a word en- tate through the Newborn Nursery tered, look at the crossing entries, at University Hospital get an edu- starting with the most unusual cation in newborn care. They also letter. Try to build on what you learn a few words in crosswordese. know. One thing I like about cross- I have been making crossword puz- words (as opposed to word search zles for residents and students puzzles), is that you can learn stuff. since I joined the faculty in 2004. You may not know an answer at The puzzles have lots of infor- first, but if you can solve the cross- mation on normal newborn care as ing entries, you will learn the an- well as a fair amount of trivia, pop swer. culture and local information. The internet is a good source of I first became interested in puzzles. As I explored crossword crosswords while in college. We sites, I learned of the American had the New York Times delivered Crossword Puzzle Tournament, run every day, and I remember a class- by Will Shortz, the editor of the mate who would take out his pen gold standard for puzzles, the New Dr. Wasser at a Crossword Tournament and solve the puzzle from 1 across York Times crossword puzzle. By in just a few minutes. I was quite 1993, I had progressed to nearly in Brooklyn NY. impressed, and I started to try to equal my college classmate, being I have been to 15 tournaments. duplicate his feat. It was hard at able to solve nearly all the daily On several occasions I was able to first, but practice definitely led to crosswords completely, so I decid- complete all the puzzles without improvement.