April 2, 2004

Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher visits VCU Medical Center

Meetings focus on healthcare disparity and sickle cell disease

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By Michael Ford
University News Services

A former U.S. Surgeon General attended a series of meetings with Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center physicians and administrators to discuss efforts to recognize and overcome minority health disparities and VCU's work with sickle cell disease.

From left: Tom Brunner, family nurse practitioner and coordinator of VCU's pediatric sickle cell program, LaVern Fitzgerald, Amelia Fitzgerald, 6, sickle cell patient, Dr. David Satcher, Amanda Fitzgerald, 12, sickle cell patient and pediatric spokesperson for the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Initiative, Terone Greene, chair of FNCS Initiative, Jene Radcliffe-Shipman, manager, Virginia Sickle Cell Awareness Program, and Florence Neal Cooper Smith, regionally and nationally recognized pioneer of sickle cell awareness, held discussions on efforts to fund sickle cell research and establish an endowed professorship at the university.
From left: Tom Brunner, family nurse practitioner and coordinator of VCU's pediatric sickle cell program, LaVern Fitzgerald, Amelia Fitzgerald, 6, sickle cell patient, Dr. David Satcher, Amanda Fitzgerald, 12, sickle cell patient and pediatric spokesperson for the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Initiative, Terone Greene, chair of FNCS Initiative, Jene Radcliffe-Shipman, manager, Virginia Sickle Cell Awareness Program, and Florence Neal Cooper Smith, regionally and nationally recognized pioneer of sickle cell awareness, held discussions on efforts to fund sickle cell research and establish an endowed professorship at the university.

David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine, at Atlanta University Center, met with Dr. Wally Smith and an eight-member VCU contingent - comprised of faculty physicians, administrators and post-graduate students - that is laying the groundwork for addressing minority health disparities in Central Virginia.

According to the National Cancer Institute, disparities - or inequalities - occur when members of certain population groups do not enjoy the same health status as other groups. Disparities are most often identified along racial and ethnic lines - showing that African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Alaska Natives and whites have different disease rates and survival rates. Health disparities occur when one group of people has a higher incidence or mortality rate than another, or when survival rates are less for one group than another.

"There is a lot of frustration with the current health system," said Satcher, who was the nation's 16th Surgeon General, serving from 1998-2002. "Politics has to be removed to reform healthcare, healthcare policy and Medicare. You have tremendous resources here."

At Morehouse School of Medicine, Satcher leads a federally funded research program devoted to addressing healthcare disparities. He offered some insights into what works at the Atlanta-based program including surveillance and monitoring of disparities, a balanced approach to disparity-related research and the development and implementation of successful interventions.

From left: Robert Satcher professor of chemistry at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Dr. Sheldon Retchin, VCU vice president for health sciences and CEO, VCU Health System, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Eugene Trani, VCU president and chair of the VCU Health System Board of Directors, and Dr. Wally Smith, associate professor and chair of VCU's Division of Quality Health meet to discuss minority health disparities and public health issues. Photos by Jennifer Watson, VCU Creative Services
From left: Robert Satcher professor of chemistry at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Dr. Sheldon Retchin, VCU vice president for health sciences and CEO, VCU Health System, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Eugene Trani, VCU president and chair of the VCU Health System Board of Directors, and Dr. Wally Smith, associate professor and chair of VCU's Division of Quality Health meet to discuss minority health disparities and public health issues. Photos by Jennifer Watson, VCU Creative Services

Smith, associate professor of internal medicine and chair of the Division of Quality Health Care at VCU Medical Center, will serve as lead moderator for a daylong Richmond conference on June 11 titled "Overcoming Health Disparities: A Disease-Focused Approach." VCU sponsors include the Division of Quality Health Care, VCU's Massey Cancer Center, VCU HIV/AIDS Center and the Office of Continuing Medical Education in the VCU School of Medicine.

During the visit, Dr. Smith also briefed Dr. Satcher on the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Sickle Cell Initiative at VCU. Chaired by Terone B. Green, vice president for business development and community relations for Virginia Premier Health Plan, Inc., the Sickle Cell Initiative is an ongoing effort to raise money to establish and endow a professorship and for aggressive research directed at finding a cure for sickle cell disease. Sickle cell anemia is a chronic, incurable, inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with the disease experience periodic, often unexpected episodes of intense pain.

Dr. Satcher's final session with Dr. Smith was a private meeting with VCU President Dr. Eugene Trani and VCU Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Sheldon Retchin, chief executive officer, VCU Health System, which centered on discussions about public health and minority health disparities.

At commencement exercises in May 2000, Dr. Trani presented Dr. Satcher the Honorary Doctor of Human Letters, VCU's highest form of recognition, extended to those who have made outstanding contributions to society through scholarship, humanitarianism, art and public service.