Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Alumni Newsletter

Issue No. 59 | April 2017

Spring Into Action

Redonda Miller, M.D., M.B.A., president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and member of the Class of 1992, is excited to welcome you back to Hopkins for Biennial Meeting and Reunion Weekend on June 8-11, 2017.

"It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since medical school!" she said. "So much has happened since then - career, marriage, and two wonderful girls-and I am still at Hopkins! I'm looking forward to reconnecting and catching up with my former classmates." Register now | View detailed schedule | Book stay

Honoring HeLa

The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks

On April 22, HBO began airing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , a film starring and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey and based on the 2010 best-selling book by Rebecca Skloot about the life of an African American woman who was treated for cervical cancer at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s.

" Johns Hopkins' part in Mrs. Lacks story is complex and in several respects regrettable-and yet it has helped us to deepen our understanding of informed consent, to appreciate the ways our patients make medical advances possible, and to reinforce the responsibility we hold for building trust with our patients, their families, and our community," said JHU President Ronald J. Daniels; School of Medicine Dean Paul B. Rothman; and Ronald R. Peterson, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System in a letter addressed to the Hopkins community. Learn more about legacy of Henrietta Lacks and HeLa cells at Hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks

Building a Culture of Health

Alumnus Honored at Public Health Talk

Class of 1981's Donald F. Schwarz, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., presented at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on April 5. In his talk, titled Building a Culture of Health:The Philadelphia Story, Schwarz discussed the array of initiatives he's implemented in Philadelphia to combat childhood obesity. During the event, the school of public health presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Schwarz is the Vice President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To read more about the Foundation and his work, click here.

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Dean's Symposium on Improving Minority Health and Achieving Health Equity

On April 12, nearly 300 Johns Hopkins alumni, faculty and friends gathered at the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a captivating conversation about the dynamic impact of health disparities and ways in which Johns Hopkins Medicine actively works to improve health equity.

During the opening video, guests met Michelle R. Simmons , a patient, mother and grandmother, who understands firsthand the impact of health inequity in her family and in her community. Her commitment to her own health and the health of her family and community, makes her a powerful partner with Johns Hopkins Medicine to reverse the impact of health disparities. To hear her story, click here. Read more | View event photos | View event program

Awards & Portraits Ceremony

School of Medicine Honorees Announced

The Awards & Portraits Ceremony will take place during Biennial Meeting & Reunion Weekend on Friday, June 9, 5 p.m. at the Armstrong Medical Educational Building. The event will recognize the achievements of School of Medicine faculty, staff and alumni through the presentation of awards and the unveiling of portraits. To view the list of this year's honorees, click here . Please feel free to reach out to your classmates to congratulate them!