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Thread Leaders Appointed to Enhance Medical School Curriculum
The College of Medicine has appointed thread leaders to enhance its medical school curriculum and ensure students are introduced to a variety of important topics during their medical education.
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Health Equity and Advocacy Thread
The Health Equity and Advocacy Thread will address the political and social determinants of health that contribute to health care disparities such as race and ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, disability, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. The thread will examine best practices for individual health care providers, institutions, and organizations to achieve health equity using approaches that mitigate individual and system-level biases.
Thread Leader: Jacqueline PopeTarrence, PhD
Dr. Pope-Tarrence is professor emeritus of psychology at Western Kentucky University (WKU) and adjunct assistant professor for the department of behavioral science at the College of Medicine-Bowling Green Campus. She is a proud Kentuckian, receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Murray State University, her Master of Arts in clinical psychology at WKU, and her Doctor of Philosophy in social psychology at the University of Louisville.
Dr. Pope-Tarrence currently co-teaches clinical interviewing courses for firstyear medical students and serves as a member of the College of Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Pillar.
Dr. Pope-Tarrence assumes this role that was previously held by inaugural thread leader Anita Fernander, PhD, associate professor of behavioral science. In the spring of 2021, Dr. Fernander was selected to join the Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine as its inaugural Chief Officer for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. For almost 19 years, she was committed to excellence in education and inclusivity for faculty and students at the UK College of Medicine.
Assistant Thread Leader: Anna Maria South, MD
Dr. South is an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine and division of hospital medicine with additional work in addiction medicine consulting and education services.
She also serves as Salvation Army Clinic preceptor, acting internship attending, and teaching team attending. She completed her residency in internal medicine at UK.
Health Systems Science Thread
The Health System Science Thread will address what is considered the “third pillar” of medical education, the practice of improving quality, costs, and outcomes of health care delivery within health care systems. This thread will address patient safety, quality improvement, population and public health, systems-thinking, and evidencebased medicine.
Thread Leader: Andrew Harris, MD
Dr. Harris is an assistant professor of urology with specialties in safety and quality improvement, robotic surgery, robotic oncologic surgery, and complex stone surgery.
He is a graduate of the UK College of Medicine and returned to UK for his fellowship, later completing his graduate certificate in improving health care value with an emphasis in quality improvement and patient safety. n
