During her keynote speech at the University of Chicago Medicine’s 44th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Jan. 21, White House correspondent April Ryan said, “Instead of asking, ‘What would Dr. King do? Ask yourself, ‘What can you do?’”
Ryan, the only African American female reporter covering urban issues from the White House since the Clinton administration, told UChicago Medicine faculty and staff to take charge of their call to serve.
“You are in position. Take hold of something that you believe in. The change starts with you and your heart," she said.
UChicago Medicine leaders also shared how the medical institution answers Dr. King’s call to serve.
“The call to serve those in need is evident in our patient population, as 23% of our patients come from the South Side,” said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago.
“It is also evident in how we contribute to the economic vitality of our neighborhood by bringing jobs to residents and pumping dollars into the local economy. Through mobile units, we are enrolling the community in research programs — to gain insights into how diseases develop and what can be done to prevent them.”
