International Women's History Month

Leadership Message
RFU is committed to a reinvention of health care that results in improved well-being for more people.

“I am proud of [our community’s] advocacy for health equity, their call for equality and justice, and their desire to understand their role and responsibility in addressing health disparities.” - President and CEO Wendy Rheault, PT, PhD, FASAHP, FNAP, DipACLM.

Time for Action: Tackling Structural Racism
Tasha Dixon, MD ’13, MPH, is family medicine lead physician at Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center and clinical assistant professor at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

“I wholeheartedly agree on the need for universal care and discussion around structural racism, the causes that fuel it and how to overcome the barriers it creates.”

Hall of Famer
The first female podiatric physician to be elected to the Podiatric Hall of Fame, Scholl College Dean Stephanie Wu, DPM, reflects on the honor.

"There are so many great women that came before me, [and] these amazing women not only serve as my role models, but their remarkable accomplishments helped pave the path for me, and I am deeply grateful."

More Than Photo 51
Today, Dr. Rosalind Franklin’s namesake — her niece Rosalind Franklin, the founder of a professional coaching firm and RFU Board of Trustee member — is advocating for a more well-rounded view of her aunt’s life and work.

“[Dr. Rosalind Franklin] believed in her work first and foremost, and didn’t let her detractors prevent her from doing that work.”

Represent the Field
A medical mystery plaguing her family that was solved by a thorough doctor/ patient conversation provided the impetus for the journey that has taken Laurine Tiema-Benson, CMS ’22, from the North Side of Chicago to the classrooms of Rosalind Franklin University.

“My acceptance to RFU positioned me to be a future physician who can sit at the table and advocate for more access to health care for underserved populations.”

Straight Talk
As someone who loves teaching, Lisandra Ochoa, MS ’17, CMS ’22, is getting a pulse on the community and using her ethnicity and bilingualism to educate Latinx youth on topics related to health.

“Ms. Ochoa is a remarkable student who has been an extremely engaged peer tutor for a large number of underrepresented medical students,” Dr. Rasgado-Flores said.

The Path to More Mobility
Working under the mentorship of Noah Rosenblatt, PhD, interim director of Scholl College’s Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research (CLEAR), Ms. Claudia Moreno Romero, SCPM led an eight-week summer research project.

Filling a Prescription for the Community
Tracy M. Reed, DPM ’97, targets a pharmacy desert in St. Louis by launching a community-based model of care.

“Start in the community and work our way up.”

Sloan Fellow Blazes New Trails in Neuroscience
EunJung Hwang, PhD, looks forward to expanding her work on neural circuit mechanisms.

“I encourage young professionals to be persistent and tenacious if you love what you’re doing. In the end, those who are resilient will survive and find the way to their long-term aspiration.”

Family PharmD
To closer connect with patients, Hetal Patel, PharmD ’18, opened an independent pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re a family-owned business and we take care of families and individuals — all incomes and ages.”