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Showing posts from June, 2021

Celebrating PRIDE

We’re excited to observe Pride Month! We believe everyone is deserving of dignity, compassion, and respect, and we want those in the LGBTQ+ community to know that we see you, we’re here for you, and we celebrate you.


June 28th marks the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots, after police raided the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. This is seen as one of the early (though not first) fights for safety and recognition of LGBTQ+ communities.

Following the Stonewall Riots, organizers built on that spirit of resistance. The following year (1970), they organized a march to Central Park and adopted the theme of “Gay Pride” as a counterpoint to the prevailing attitude of shame. The march down Christopher Street soon expanded to other cities, with many more joining in year over year through the 1970s until Pride became the month-long and nationwide celebration that it is today.

Pride Month celebrates the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. 

Pride is celebrated because trans women, trans men, butch lesbians, gay men, queer people of color, and every other member of the LGBTQ+ community fought in the past and still fighting today. There are still a lot of things to fight for when it comes to safety, equity, and diversity.

We encourage you to learn more about the history of pride and the status of LGBTQ+ in the US in resources recommended by our system Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team:

We hope that you will take time this week to join us in celebrating the colorful history of the community and remembering those who were lost on the journey to today.

MHRI Senior Leadership

Neil J. Weissman, MD
Mary Anne Hinkson
William Gayne
Raj Ratwani, PhD
Angela Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA
Petros Okubagzi, MD
Christina Stanger, MA, CRA
Joan K. Bardsley, MBA, RN, CDE, FAADE
Ron Migues, MD
Becky K. Montalvo
Shawanna Jackson, MBA, MHA
Federico Asch, MD, FACC, FASE
Nawar M. Shara, PhD
Clark F. Bean
Allison Reschovsky, Esq
Alana Tuthill
Chrissy Kyak, CHC
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Juneteenth

In honor of Juneteenth, we want to take time to reflect on the importance of this day, especially to those in the Black community. Not only does it mark a turning point in our country's history, it’s also a reminder that we should strive to build a better future for us all, regardless of race, creed, or color.


For many of us, we have spent the last year learning more: about ourselves, our associates, our colleagues, our communities. In that vein of growth, we want to acknowledge events that are important to our communities and celebrate important milestones in our history. 

Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day and is the oldest-known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Though it has been long celebrated among the African American community, it is a history that has been marginalized and still remains largely unknown to the wider public. 

The legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of deep hope and urgent organizing in uncertain times. Just in the last day, President Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal Holiday. This follows the Senate and House passing the bill earlier this week. We are pleased to see this progress and look forward to celebrating this new federal holiday and recognition.

We encourage you to learn more about the history of Juneteenth in resources recommended by our system Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team:
As senior leaders, we are committed to continuing our journey of growth with you and each other. 

This weekend, join us in reflecting on the holiday. 

MHRI Senior Leadership 

Neil J. Weissman, MD
Mary Anne Hinkson
William Gayne
Raj Ratwani, PhD
Angela Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA
Petros Okubagzi, MD
Christina Stanger, MA, CRA
Joan K. Bardsley, MBA, RN, CDE, FAADE
Ron Migues, MD
Becky K. Montalvo
Shawanna Jackson, MBA, MHA
Federico Asch, MD, FACC, FASE
Nawar M. Shara, PhD
Clark F. Bean
Allison Reschovsky, Esq
Alana Tuthill
Chrissy Kyak, CHC
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The Importance of Summer

Below is my monthly message for the June 2021 edition of the MHRI newsletter, Focus. You can view Focus online at MedStarResearch.org/FOCUS.


Dear Friends and Colleagues,

A recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article is titled “We All Really Need a Vacation”. This is understandable, with more than a year of pandemic stress and isolation from family and friends. As the COVID-19 numbers continue to fall, we remain cautiously optimistic about the summer as a time to ‘unplug’ and rejuvenate.

While we all are feeling the need for a vacation, we should also recognize the biological importance we obtain from time away. Research shows that taking a vacation is important to increase resilience, creativity, and overall health: yes, vacations can actually advance health! A study from UCSF documented an improvement in stress hormones and immune function immediately after vacation, whether at a fancy resort or a modest meditation retreat. Neuro-imaging research demonstrated that being idle, daydreaming, and relaxing create alpha waves in the brain that are key to creative insights and innovative breakthroughs. That could explain, in part, why a different study showed that hiking in nature, disconnected from all devices for 4 days (a very unusual experience in our day and age), led to a 50% spike in creativity.


Most surprisingly, studies have shown that time away from work actually results in greater productivity at work! The improvements in health, wellbeing, resilience, and creativity all add up to an increased ability to deal with inevitable challenges in a productive and effective manner (3 Science-based Reasons Vacations Boost Productivity).

The HBR article is a great resource on how to make the most of your vacation, including the need to prepare your workplace. At MHRI, we will work with our local leaders, identifying which routine meetings can be postponed or canceled through the summer and identify appropriate redundancy to ensure vital research continues while allowing our teams to recharge. In that spirit, we will take a short summer break of this FOCUS newsletter and return in September.

I wish everyone a rejuvenating, safe, and enjoyable summer and look forward to hearing how you advanced your health and wellness.

Neil

Read Focus online at MedStarResearch.org/FOCUS.

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