A Message from Dr. Burks: Finding Inspiration from the Pioneers of the Past | Newsroom – UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

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As we observe Black History Month throughout February, let’s celebrate the incredible contributions Black people have made in medicine and health, both across UNC Health, throughout North Carolina, and worldwide. Let’s honor those contributions by continuing to work toward true health equity in care and access for all people we serve.


Dear Colleagues,
Black History Month is a time to reflect on the pioneers of the past and to consider how their work can inspire us in this present moment. As we begin this February, I wanted to share a story about Nurse Adelia Compton. In 1923, Nurse Compton arrived in Chapel Hill to serve as a nurse to the town’s Black community. Within her first month of work, Nurse Compton visited 200 homes, documenting untreated cases of measles and whooping cough. She worked with doctors in Durham to care for babies and organized clinics to perform tonsillectomies. She was a tireless advocate, working to address what we now would call the social determinants of health.
“Through her work, sanitary conditions have been improved, premises have been cleaned, the sick, who would have otherwise been uncared for, have been nursed, children have been trained in health work, and babies have been born with a better chance of surviving the hazards of infancy,” wrote the Chapel Hill News at the time, describing Nurse Compton’s impact.
Similar to Nurse Compton, our teammates have brought care directly to communities throughout COVID-19 in the form of outreach efforts first for testing and then for vaccination, combining these services with distribution of masks, and sharing of health education and other resources.
This effort represents the enduring impact of forerunners like Nurse Compton, but also reminds us – even nearly 100 years later – of the work that remains to ensure equitable access to care.
As we observe Black History Month throughout February, let’s celebrate the incredible contributions Black people have made in medicine and health, both across UNC Health, throughout North Carolina, and worldwide. Let’s honor those contributions by continuing to work toward true health equity in care and access for all people we serve.
I want to thank the members of UNC Health’s Black Alliance Employee Resource Group for their work planning a number of events throughout this month. These events are open to all teammates across our system and the UNC School of Medicine. A full listing is available here. Please take a look and make time to attend if you are able.
Thank you for all you do each day to improve the health and well-being of the people of North Carolina and to take care of each other.
Sincerely,
Wesley
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