Dr. Tunde-Byass and Jennifer Dockery: Transforming Pain into Purpose

Black maternal health in Canada requires collective change, and that belief is exactly what sparked Toronto’s first Black Maternal Health Week. Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass, OB-GYN (NYGH) and President-Elect (FMWC), and Jennifer Dockery, Vice President, Quality, Post-Acute Care & Community Integration at North York General Hospital are determined to spotlight gaps in care and amplify the voices of Black mothers.

In this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Dr. Tunde-Byass and Jennifer talk candidly about why there is limited data about Black maternal health in Canada, what data is available, and what healthcare organizations can do today to better support Black families and patients. They also share a bit about their own career journey, including launching Canada’s first racially concordant mentorship program.

Quotables:

“The biggest advice that I would give to other leaders on walking into uncharted territory is don’t do it alone. Change doesn’t happen in silos.” – JD

"You need to start by listening, really listening, to the communities that you're aiming to serve. Their voices will actually help to guide the process – they're critical to it." – JD

“I think it’s important to understand that the black population accounts for 4.5% of the total Canadian population but is only represented by 2.3% physicians who identify as Black. So, you can see there are some gaps there and some underrepresentation.” – Dr. TB

“The impact of anti-Black racism on Black maternal health is well documented as a crisis in the USA. It’s now being recognized as an urgent health issue affecting Black women and pregnant people and families in Canada.” – JD

“What we’re seeing is the higher deaths of Black women in preventable diseases like breast cancer. And also, the fact that when breast cancer occurs, these women are being affected by this disease in their 40s even before they get to the point of mammograms at the age of 50.” – Dr. TB

“Shining a light on these dark realities is important. And that was the essence of Black Maternal Health Week in Canada. The important thing is we’re not ignored, so we have allies and people who are interested in changing the status quo.” – Dr. TB

“My hope is there will be an awareness that Black Maternal Health Week isn’t just about Black mothers. It’s actually about a broader truth that women as a group have long been marginalized in healthcare. They’ve been denied access, they’ve been dismissed, they’ve been undervalued. And within that reality, Black women, Indigenous women, and other women of colour actually bear the heaviest burden.” – JD

“The first step of healthcare organizations supporting Black mothers and families is recognizing that equity isn’t a project. It actually has to be something that gets woven into the culture, the system, and the daily practices of care.” – JD

Mentioned in this Episode:

·       North York General Hospital

·       NYGH Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic

·       Black Physicians of Canada

·       Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC)

·       HIROC

·       Toronto Black Maternal Health Week

·       Jenelle Ambrose Dash

·       Black Maternal Health Collective Canada

·       City of Toronto

Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

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