Waiting for Mercy

Structural racism and implicit bias are prominent in the care of people living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston shares how she unwittingly showed bias early in her career and learned from her mistake. Host Dr. Wally Smith talks to several people living with SCD who have experienced bias first-hand, including ASH Research Collaborative SCD Community Engagement Manager Shauna Whisenton, an individual cured of SCD, and Dr. Titilope Fasipe, an SCD warrior and physician. Pioneer in SCD care and research Dr. James Eckman and Dr. Sophie Lanzkron share strategies they are using in their clinics to combat structural racism and provide better care for their patients. Kyle Smith emphasizes that people battling SCD deserve compassionate care. Learn more by reading through the resources in the list below. 
Relevant resources: 

• ASH Sickle Cell Disease Initiative -  https://www.hematology.org/advocacy/sickle-cell-disease-initiative
• ASH Research Collaborative - https://www.ashresearchcollaborative.org/s/
• ASH Anti-Racism Toolkit - https://www.hematology.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/anti-racism-toolkit

Music: "Envision" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/