Chats for Change | Mount Sinai
Activities that spark conversations.
Fall/Winter 2024 (September – December)
Chats for Change Schedule
The fall and winter Chats for Change schedule is here!
Each season we introduce new topics that are designed to spark critical dialogue and generate deeper understanding and insight.
We invite all staff, faculty, trainees, students and others within the health system to join us and engage in dialogue so that we can work towards a common understanding and contribute our best thinking, knowing that other peoples’ reflections help to improve our thinking rather than impair it. We are committed to dialogue to help us reveal our assumptions and biases for self-evaluation.
Chats for Change is built on the notion that responding to racism and bias requires engaging in dialogue, learning, and action. This month we are proud to announce the new Chats for Change schedule for September through December 2024.
This season’s Chats for Change series is dedicated to the memory of Myrla Parrish, a member of the Mount Sinai community who was a loyal participant in these dialogues and someone who proudly stood for equity and justice with every fiber of her being. This season we have partnered with folks across Mount Sinai to continue to dialogue about relevant topics. Join us to:
- Learn about an art project that illustrates the experiences of patients who have been stereotyped.
- Identify strategies to get more people on board with antiracism transformational change.
- Engage in thought–provoking dialogue in a 3-part series about Islamophobia and Antisemitism.
- Explore the history and modern-day activism in Native American communities.
- Check in on Election Day and meet later in the month to deconstruct the presidential election and its ramifications.
- Understand the experience of military veterans beyond their stereotypes on board questions.
- Learn about the lived experience of our Asian–American colleagues, peers, and patients and the ways in which we can all benefit from eliminating anti-Asian American bias.
Register today and add Chats for Change to your calendar.
Are there topics that you want to see in future sessions? Let us know; we want to hear from you.
Chats for Change |Fall/Winter
September 2024
Project H.E.ART: Addressing Stereotypes and Bias in Healthcare Through Art
Biases and stereotypes in healthcare have been prevalent throughout history and are present today. Stereotyping has led to inequitable access and quality in medical treatment, and stigmatization of specific communities. Using art as a tool, Project H.E.ART (Health Equity in ART), displays the experiences of patients who have been stereotyped. Join us and learn about an art-based initiative that raises awareness of biases and stereotypes.
Facilitators: Steven Xol-Quevedo, CEYE Alum and NYU Undergrad student and Jay Johnson, CHES
Tuesday, September 3 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Getting People on Board with Anti-racist Transformational Change
Transformational change requires us to emphasize continuous adaptation and responsiveness to shifting social, cultural, and institutional dynamics. Join us as we identify strategies to get people on board and stick with antiracist transformational change in our work and learning environments, especially during times of chaos and competing priorities. This session is a special session in collaboration with We’re All In (WAI) Activation week. Learn more about We’re All In here.
Facilitator(s): David Muller, MD and Leona Hess, PhD
Tuesday, September 10 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Islamophobia: What is it and How Does it Affect Our Patients and Colleagues?
Islamophobia is rampant nationally and globally at this moment in history and has always been a lived reality for the patients and colleagues with whom we coexist but often don’t ‘see’. Join us for a thought-provoking dialogue about the contemporary struggles of Muslim Americans and their lived realities.
Facilitator(s): Zakir Ahmed, PhD and David Muller, MD
Tuesday, September 24 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
October 2024
Native American Activism as a Blueprint
From collective activism to protest at Mount Rushmore, Alcatraz, Standing Rock, and more, Native Americans have been advocating for the rights of their tribal nations and all of us who occupy this land. Join us as we explore the history and modern-day activism in Native American communities and consider the implications as a model for our approach to anti-oppressive work.
Facilitators: Ashley Michelle Fowler, M.Ed. and Jay Johnson
Tuesday, October 8 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Antisemitism: What is it and How Does it Affect Our Patients and Colleagues?
Antisemitism is rampant nationally and globally at this moment in history and has always been a lived reality for the patients and colleagues with whom we coexist but often don’t ‘see’. Join us for a thought-provoking dialogue about the contemporary struggles of Jewish Americans and their lived realities.
Facilitator(s): Jo Hirschman, BCC, FACHE, ACPE Certified Educator and David Muller, MD
Tuesday, October 22 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
November 2024
Election Day
This presidential election offers two drastically different visions for the future of this country. For many of us the issues decided by this election will have a direct personal or professional impact. We’ll use this time to check-in with our community and discuss the sentiments that are coming up for you.
Facilitator(s): David Muller, MD and Ashley Michelle Fowler, M.Ed.
Tuesday, November 5 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Islamophobia and Antisemitism: Shared experiences, Shared Solutions
As forms of oppression Islamophobia and antisemitism are remarkably similar. They stem from a fear of ‘the other’, have many of the same manifestations, and would benefit from the same anti-oppressive approaches. Join us as we explore our universal human values and the common pathway we can take to address these current crises.
Facilitator(s): Jo Hirschman, BCC, FACHE, ACPE Certified Educator and Zakir Ahmed, PhD
Tuesday, November 12 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
After the Election – What Comes Next?
We’ll use this time to discuss what comes next for the country and ourselves as we deconstruct the presidential election and its ramifications. We’ll explore what it says about who we are and the society in which we live.
Facilitator(s): Leona Hess, PhD and Jay Johnson
Tuesday, November 26 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
December 2024
Beyond Bar fights and Debilitating PTSD: Understanding the Military Veteran Experience Beyond the Board Questions
When studying for your board exams you might come across a question stem that has to do with the military. Without giving away any answers, there might be trauma from a bar fight, intrusive thoughts about combat experiences, or electrolyte imbalances from training in the desert. But do those question stems capture the reality of military service, or the range of experiences that people may have while in uniform or after? In what ways does that portrayal square with the types of patients you might come across in the VA or clinic, and how can we make our understanding of veterans more complex and sensitive to the diverse needs of this patient population?
Facilitator(s): Mike Auten (M3) and Rico Pesce (M2)
Tuesday, December 10 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Model Minority or Perpetual Foreigner? The Asian American Experience
Asian Americans find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, labeled in ways that are profoundly negative and impossible to reconcile. Join us for a dialogue about the lived experience of our Asian American colleagues, peers, and patients and the ways in which we can all benefit from eliminating Asian American bias.
Facilitator(s): Mount Sinai Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development (CAEPD) and David Muller, MD
Tuesday, December 17 | 12-1 pm | Join us on Zoom.
Chats for Change is built on the notion that in order to respond to racism and be anti-racist we must engage in dialogue, learning, and action.
If you’ve attended Chats for Change in the past or if you are curious about the experience, we invite you to join us as we continue to engage in dialogue, work towards a common understanding, and contribute our best thinking, knowing that other peoples’ reflections will help improve our thinking rather than undermine it. We are committed to engaging in dialogue in order to reveal our assumptions and biases for self-evaluation.
These sessions are intended for the Mount Sinai Health System community of students, faculty, and staff. After registering for any of the sessions above you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, including an option to add the invitation to your calendar. None of these sessions will be recorded.
If you are interested in participating in Chats for Change sessions that are open to the public, join us here.
If you’d like to join us for the Mindfulness Moments limited Series, click here.
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