Racial Bias in Sickle Cell Treatment
Category:Health & Wellness → Mental Health Education→ Diversity and Inclusion
Participants:
- Presenter
- Dr. Carolyn Rowley – Executive Director & Founder, Cayenne Wellness Center
- Moderator
- Dr. Keith Quirolo
- Guest Speaker
- Dr. Marcia Treadwell
Sickle cell disease doesn’t simply live in the body—it lives at the intersection of medicine, history, and justice. This course, featuring insights from Dr. Marcia Treadwell, examines how racial bias and systemic inequities continue to shape the healthcare experiences of individuals living with sickle cell disease.
Through an unflinching look at pain management, implicit bias, and healthcare disparities, participants will learn how clinical decisions are influenced not just by protocol but by perception. The conversation invites learners into a deeper understanding of cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and the role of patient advocacy in shifting the healthcare landscape toward dignity and equity.
This course also explores quality improvement frameworks and reform efforts designed to address disparities at the systems level—equipping healthcare professionals with strategies to provide more compassionate, responsive, and bias-aware care.
Like a lantern held up in a long corridor, this session illuminates both the harm and the hope within sickle cell treatment, calling providers, advocates, and allies to the ongoing work of change.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Describe the complexities and common misconceptions surrounding sickle cell disease.
- Recognize how racial bias and systemic racism distort treatment and patient outcomes.
- Explain the impact of implicit bias on pain management decisions.
- Apply principles of cultural humility to patient interactions.
- Identify strategies to implement trauma-informed care for individuals with chronic pain and PTSD symptoms.
- Understand the importance of advocacy and patient rights in clinical settings.
- Evaluate how quality improvement initiatives support equitable care.
- Reflect on the role of allyship in interrupting bias in real time.
