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How Boston Medical Center is Crushing Outcomes via Empathy and Trust

How Boston Medical Center is Crushing Outcomes via Empathy and Trust

Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD

Associate Professor, Family
Medicine, Boston Medical
Center

Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, is a family medicine physician and the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Dr. Gergen Barnett is also a clinical associate professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Her primary clinical interests are behavioral health, preventive medicine, nutrition, trauma-informed care, gender-affirming care, women’s health, reproductive care, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and group medical care. Dr. Gergen Barnett’s research focuses on innovative models of care to address chronic medical conditions and physician burnout and engaging community partners in creating feasible solutions to increase health and wellness and to address medical distrust in traditionally marginalized communities. Dr. Gergen Barnett is involved in local and state health policy addressing health inequities and national policy addressing primary care delivery and is a regular contributor to The Boston Globe, Boston Public Radio, and various television outlets.

Cheryl Harding

Patient & Community
Advocate

The founder of a Boston nonprofit, From Roots to Wings, Cheryl continues to be a strong voice for the underserved and underrepresented to ensure that everyone gets access to information, services and opportunities.

How Boston Medical Center is Crushing Outcomes via Empathy and Trust

Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Cheryl Harding, patient and community advocate, join Eric to share how Boston Medical Center is utilizing storytelling to build trust and connection between the hospital and its community partners. Katherine and Cheryl discuss the impact medical mistrusts has on health outcomes and health disparities.

They also tell how the “Storytelling to Build Medical Trust” project was born out of the desire of BMC to improve the health and well-being of Black and brown community members. The project puts a face to the statistics and allows community members to explain why they lack trust in the overall healthcare system.

Hear how this unique project has brought the medical and local communities together and how empathy and trust can help advance health equity and narrow health disparities.

Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD

Associate Professor, Family
Medicine, Boston Medical
Center

Cheryl Harding

Patient & Community
Advocate

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