Dermatologists are more than skin experts
From the President
Dr. Hruza served as Academy president from March 2019 to March 2020.
By George Hruza, MD, MBA, February 1, 2020
It is no great secret that dermatology is a small specialty. However, what some people may not know is that dermatology’s reach in the medical community is quite extensive. While it may seem to the layman that we focus on just skin, hair, and nails, dermatologists are key partners in care for many diseases and serious conditions that go beyond the skin, and to many communities with access challenges as well. Not every patient has the same access to health care services, including dermatologic care, but our specialty is working to change that.
To highlight this issue, the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) recently held a briefing at the U.S. Capitol about the impact of dermatology on minority communities. The briefing was part of the Academy’s skinserious® campaign, which is designed to educate stakeholders on the impact of skin disease on patients, and the value of dermatologic care provided by board-certified dermatologists.
I was joined by Rep. John Joyce, MD, (R-Pa.); as well as incoming Academy Vice President Susan Taylor, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Brown Skin; Amit Pandya, MD, clinical professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; and Timothy Schmidt, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco, to discuss the importance of access to dermatologic care in minority underserved patient populations.
Dr. Taylor spoke about her work with the African American community. Dr. Pandya discussed his work with the Agape Clinic, which primarily serves the Latino population at no charge and treats nearly 1,000 dermatology patients a year. Dr. Schmidt spoke about efforts to improve access to dermatologic care for the Native American community. The briefing was attended by 52 congressional staff, who were so engaged by what our experts shared that the question-and-answer session lasted for almost an hour!
There is so much we, as dermatologists, can do to impact the health of minority communities. On the ground, we can participate in Academy programs like the Native American Health Services Rotation, or volunteer at a place like the Agape Clinic. Additionally, there are many barriers to care for minority patients that we can overcome from a policy perspective. Specifically, we are advocating for more medical research funding, which is essential for supporting efforts to better understand and treat diverse skin diseases in various patient populations. Additionally, we are advocating for Congress to increase access to care in underserved areas by appropriating funds to rural and minority community programs and expanding programs that provide incentives to physicians who elect to practice in these areas.
Increasing medical research funding and improving patient access are fully in line with the Academy’s legislative priorities.
Dermatologists are more than experts in skin, hair, and nails. As you can see, through the skinserious campaign, we are dedicated to delivering the best health care to all communities to improve patients’ lives. For that, I am proud to be a part of this great profession and organization.
