Wegner Health Sciences Library to Host Health Humanities Speaker as Part of 'Speaking of Health' Series
In collaboration with the Sanford School of Medicine Office of Medical Education and Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Wegner Library will present the latest installment of its “Speaking of Health” series on April 18 at 6 p.m. with speaker Dr. David Ansell, whose advocacy focuses on eliminating health inequities. The event is open to the public.
Ansell completed medical training at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, where he then spent 13 years as an attending physician and ultimately, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. From 1995 to 2005 he was chair of internal medicine at Mount Sinai Chicago. He was recruited to Rush University Medical Center as its inaugural chief medical officer in 2005, a position he held until 2015. His research and advocacy have been focused on eliminating health inequities. In 2011 he published a memoir of his time at County Hospital, "County: Life, Death and Politics at Chicago’s Public Hospital." His latest book, "The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills," was published in 2017.
According to Peter Hoesing, Ph.D., director of the medical humanities track at the Sanford School of Medicine, Dr. Ansell’s research blends humanistic social sciences like medical sociology and urban geography with a variety of other public health research methods. “His work highlights the persistent optimism of communities determined to promote better health outcomes for their families and neighbors,” he explained. “As the Sanford School of Medicine continues to develop its medical humanities track, health professionals, students of all stripes working and training in South Dakota, and the conscientious public have much to learn from how these partnerships combat structural violence and foster health justice.”
Led by Anna Simonson, Ph.D., “Speaking of Health” is a series that highlights authors of a wide range of health humanities titles. Wegner Health Sciences Library invites these authors to the Sanford School of Medicine to engage and inspire students, faculty and the public. Health Humanities at the Sanford School of Medicine educates health professionals on the foundational idea that physicians and their teams treat humans, not mere bodies.
The South Dakota Humanities Council celebrates literature, promotes civil conversation, and tells the stories that define our state with a sole mission to deliver humanities programs to South Dakotans. Successful applicants submit projects led by humanities professionals and feature humanities as a central focus of their program, event or research project. The Humanities Council has awarded $60,759 to organizations providing humanities programs for South Dakotans.
