Mar 9, 2021
Dr. Gee discusses Dr. Jasmine Zapata's involvement in the COVID-19 vaccine research at the University of Wisconsin under the leadership of Dr. William Hartman. Their conversation highlights the importance and rarity of including African Americans in the research process. This important topic explains the mistrust of the Black community for health care services and the impact of COVID on African Americans.
Dr. William Hartman is an anesthesiologist at UW Health and an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is the Medical Director for the UW Health Preanesthesia Assessment Clinic. He is leading a UW Health study looking at whether plasma transfusions from people who have recovered from COVID-19 will help others who are still fighting it.
Dr. Zapata is a dynamic author, physician, health educator, speaker, youth empowerment specialist, and community leader known both locally and internationally. She is a board-certified pediatrician as well as a preventive medicine/public health doctor. Her focus is on ways to get outside the clinic walls to impact health outcomes for children and families on a community-based level. Her research and community work focuses on racial disparities in infant mortality, upstream determinants of health, youth resilience, public health approaches to violence prevention, and innovative methods of community engagement and health promotion. She is the founder of the Beyond Beautiful International Youth Empowerment Movement as well as co-founder of the Madison Inspirational Youth Choir among other roles.