This MLK day, I want to honor Black women in medicine who are changing the world. This first thread will focus on my friend @doctortarr_ the leader of Rooted by Planted in Health, our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization! Read more!

Rooted led by Dr. Sondema Tarr @doctortarr_ , is an educational outreach program focused on providing informative health and nutrition videos, print out resources, and health tips for the Black community, accessible online & free for all!

Why is this important?
Rates of heart disease mortality among the Black population have remained disproportionately high, and the impact of social determinants of health greatly impact the risk of developing heart disease.

Underrepresented minorities who live in poor areas and at-risk communities are at greater risk of developing obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and other risk factors for heart disease.

Dr. Tarr’s initiative will be filling a big gap in patient education for the Black community. Although doctors and healthcare providers often wish they had the time to discuss the importance of healthy eating and exercise in great detail during

their patients appointment, time is often limited. For underrepresented minorities who live in poor areas and at-risk communities, who are unable to seek the expertise of a registered dietitian, our hope is this free educational video series may serve as a great resource.

Dr. Tarr’s program is creating an educational resource to help the Black community learn about well planned plant-based diets, with the goal being to help everyone eat more plants, in an affordable way

In addition to providing a free plant based nutrition education resource, to be made available and accessible world wide, the goal is to study the effectiveness of this educational nutrition intervention in a randomized controlled trial.

Dr. Tarr’s program will also be advocating for policy, environmental & systems change to address food inequities & access. Low-income neighborhoods & communities of color generally have 2-3x less options for healthy food, compared to more affluent or white neighborhoods

Ref: U.S Economic Census; County Business Patterns, 2015

Also if you can, follow my BFF @doctortarr_ on twitter. She’s still new here
She’s a surgeon, an inspiring Black woman in medicine &...vegan too! She is going to change the world She makes me a better doctor just knowing & learning from her! Her positivity is contagious

@KCKlatt @DrNasrien @drtracykpaul @ChaseTMAnderson @drmaggarwal @AmmahStarr @RealDoctorMike @EugeniaGianos @rajdoc2005 @JoyHenningsenMD @HanCardiomd @JohnRush32 @TheVeganRD @DrWhoReads @Dr__Guess @londyloo @shirlywhirlmd @PlantBasedNews

Next up... the unbelievably talented artist, social justice warrior & IM resident soon to be cardiology fellow @ShirleneObuobi

I am so fortunate to call this amazing human one of my bffs. She’s making a huge impact in medicine, & this is just the beginning. Learn more here

Dr. Obuobi has created @shirlywhirlmd - an account where she discusses important topics like racism, social justice, challenges in medical training, sexism, LGBTQIA+ and more through her brilliant comics. She’s extraordinary talented, compassionate, and honest.

Dr. Obuobi discusses how important it is to advocate for more diversity & inclusion in medicine, especially in cardiology. Our specialty is so lucky to have @shirlywhirlmd . This world is a better place because @ShirleneObuobi is in it! https://twitter.com/shirlywhirlmd/status/1305352180661129218

@ShirleneObuobi is a fierce patient advocate https://twitter.com/shirlywhirlmd/status/1302308724921507842

Through her incredible art, she shares the challenges HCW have experienced throughout COVID https://twitter.com/shirlywhirlmd/status/1282294533695459328

And in one of the most moving, earth shattering, heart breaking and absolutely honest cartoon depictions of systemic racism I’ve ever seen, @ShirleneObuobi shares a story about being a Black child growing up in America. (You must read this one ) https://twitter.com/shirlywhirlmd/status/1269265210008915969

Dr. Obuobi has brought her graphic medicine to journals like @TheLancet

(I even recently had the great honor to collaborate with the talented @ShirleneObuobi @DrMarthaGulati on a paper soon to be published on social determinants of health!) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32084-5/fulltext

So thank you, to @ShirleneObuobi : for bringing @shirlywhirlmd to the world, cardiology is going to be a better place because you’re in it I love you!