The School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence will host a Virtual Inclusive Talks and Lecture Series (VITALS) talk in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month Tuesday, Sept. 26, from noon to 1 p.m. in Biomedical Research Building, Room 105. Gezzar Ortega, assistant professor of surgery and lead faculty for research and innovation for equitable surgical care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, will present “Cutting Into Hispanic/Latinx Health Advocacy and Equity.”
Ortega is also the co-founder of the Latino Surgical Society, which aims to cultivate, nurture and support the advancement of Latino surgeons. He serves as the principal investigator of a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) K23 and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Diversity and Inclusion Minority Faculty Career Development Award focused on improving outcomes for surgical patients with LEP, and was also the project director for the Provider Awareness and Cultural Dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons Trial, a NIMHD R01 project to develop and evaluate a curriculum for surgical residents to improve cross-cultural communication and engagement.
Following the presentation, there will be a Fiesta Celebration in the Biomedical Research Building lobby to celebrate Hispanic/Latine arts, cuisine, culture and heritage.