Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Through my years completing medical school, residency and fellowship training at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center I have seen first-hand how social determinants of health (SDOH), such as access to food, housing, transportation, child-care, education, and insurance as well as biases such as racism, ageism, and ableism can affect the health of our patients. What's more, through my years at BU/BMC, I have also seen how health-care systems and education programs can help overcome such barriers and provide care for all patients in need.

As a geriatrician practicing home-based medicine, my goal is to provide access to essential medical care for older adults with serious chronic illness who face difficulties with mobility/transportation, housing, food, access to caregiving, etc. Moreover, I am passionate about teaching the next generation of clinicians by precepting 4th year medical students during their 4th year Geriatric Medicine clerkship and opening their eyes to the challenges our patients and their families face every single day, teaching them ways to help assess for SDOH and biases, and helping them become compassionate clinicians and patient advocates.

In addition, in my research area of interest, I aim to include a patient population that has been included infrequently in research studies that shape guidelines: older adults who may have functional or cognitive impairment and multimorbidity. Finally, as the director of the Evidence-Based Practice Module within the Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, one of my goals is to take note of inequalities in research and the challenges we may face as clinicians in trying to apply study outcomes to older adults.