Wright State Physicians OB/GYN physician Keith Reisinger-Kindle, DO, recognizes the role bias, discrimination, structural and institutional oppression, even when unintentional, play in patient care and health outcomes. Reisinger-Kindle believes training in anti-racism/social justice awareness can help medical providers offer patients even better care.
“Incorporating social justice into medicine involves providing physicians with the skills to examine the roles that bias, discrimination and oppression play in the lives of our patients and colleagues,” said Reisinger-Kindle.
Reisinger-Kindle’s experience in this field comes from his time as an intergroup dialogue facilitator and instructor with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Program on Intergroup Relations. When he joined Wright State Physicians (WSP) in 2020 he began utilizing this formal training to facilitate antiracism/social justice trainings for OB/GYN resident physicians at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine (BSOM). Reisinger-Kindle is also an assistant professor and associate program director with BSOM’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The training program uses intergroup dialogue, widely used in community settings, to increase trust, decrease stereotypes, establish common ground and increase shared perspectives. Its more than lectures or a group discussion, it involves structured activities that encourage participants to investigate and explore their own personal journeys as well as the journeys of fellow participants.
The scope of the training program has grown over the past few years to include an increased number of WSP providers, BSOM clinical faculty, residents, medical students, and staff.
Reisinger-Kindle is now working with Erica Taylor, MD, BSOM professor of pediatrics and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director, to expand the training program. The pair was recently awarded a nearly $750,000 grant, which they are excited to use extend the reach of the program throughout the medical community in Dayton and beyond.
