I am Dr. Omolara Thomas Uwemedimo, the CEO and Founder of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood. I am a board certified pediatrician with a passion for social justice, an advocate, a professor & researcher committed to ensuring all mothers and children, no matter their race, income, or background have an equal right to thrive.
For over 15 years, I have worked as a board certified pediatrician, mostly serving families of color, by providing medical care as well as developing programs that works with communities to deliver health education. My work has been both local and global- working in NYC and Boston with communities of color, including those from indigenous and immigrant backgrounds, as well as in 12 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
My career started at the early age of 21, when I completed New York University School of Medicine and then my training at the number one children’s hospital in the country- Children’s Hospital Boston. I received my MPH in population and family health and since have received $2 million to develop programs to improve health for children of color, by providing innovative models of embedding legal and navigator services within clinics. For my work., I have received several community awards including Mayor’s Unsung Hero Award for Outstanding Community Service and the Child Center of NY’s inaugural Innovative Leadership Award.
However in my career, I’ve realized that addressing health disparities in healthcare means not only improving the delivery of healthcare but strengthening the individuals who took the oath to heal others. As a former professor at institutions such as Columbia University and Hofstra University, I have developed formal courses training physicians in providing effective care to children and families of color.
However, after being hospitalized and diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder in 2019, I realized that the population who might need help were Black women physicians. We physicians of color play an important role in demonstrating and delivering the care that communities of color deserve. However, we also are the same physicians endure stress, isolation and burnout from the lack of diversity and a culture of exclusion in healthcare settings. In particular, Black women physicians, who make up only 2% of the physicians in the nation, are particularly isolated and endure severe discrimination.
I am one of those women.
So, I created Melanin, Medicine and Motherhood, a company specifically designed to provide programming to support retention and inclusion among women physicians of color.
I have worked tirelessly as an advocate and have been an invited speaker to both physician and community audiences to share my advocacy and policy expertise in the fields of implicit bias in healthcare settings, inclusion and equity for women physicians in healthcare, racism in health, and health of marginalized children and families., including immigrants, low-income and minorities. I have been able to serve as a contributor to Newsweek, SXSW, Reuters, NPR and CNN Espanol.