Notable Black Medical Contributions

If recent times have taught us anything, it’s that Black voices, stories, and accomplishments need to be talked about. Shared. Celebrated.

And not just in the neat and tidy comfort of Black History Month, but every day. From physicians and surgeons to nurses and scientists, significant Black medical contributions date back to the American Revolutionary times and continue to develop incredible medical breakthroughs today. Here are some of our highly-celebrated, historical members of the medical community:

Alexa Irene Canady

As the first female African American neurosurgeon, Dr. Alexa Irene Canady nearly dropped out of her undergraduate program but decided to forge ahead, fueled by her passion for medicine - specifically in genetics research. A Lansing, Michigan native, Dr. Canady focused her studies in pediatrics and in 1981 became the first Black female neurosurgeon in the United States. Her notable research includes the effects of hydrocephalus on children.

James Durham

James Durham, the first Black physician, was born into slavery in 1762. While he obviously did not earn a medical degree, he became an assistant to the doctors who bought him. Durham allegedly bought his freedom and opened a New Orleans medical practice where he successfully treated patients during the yellow fever outbreak of the late 1780s.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Dr. Rebecca Lee Cumpler, the first Black woman to earn a medical degree, worked as a successful nurse and physician. Upon earning her medical degree in 1864, she focused her practice on women and children. She later published the first medical book written by a Black American author; in her book, she addressed prevention and treatment of diseases that affect women and children.

James McCune Smith

It’s widely believed that Dr. James McCune Smith was the first Black man to earn his medical degree. As a physician and schola, Dr. Smith was previously denied college admission in America - because of his determination, he moved to Scotland to earn his degree in 1837. It’s also believed that Smith was the first Black physician to publish articles in American medical journals, with writings on everything from science and medicine to education, racism, and even literature.

Myra Adele Logan

As the first woman to perform open-heart surgery in 1943, Dr. Myra Logan’s research included breast cancer and antibiotics. In fact, her open-heart procedure was on the 9th procedure to be performed worldwide. Her impressive research included developing accurate testing to detect density differences in breast tissue, and she was a founding partner of the first physicians group practice in all of the United States.

Louis T. Wright

A true pioneer in antibiotic research, Dr. Louis Wright became a physician, following in his father’s footsteps. A notable contribution to the medical field includes in the 1940’s, Wright led a team through researching how antibiotic chlortetracycline affects humans. Additionally, Wright served in the Army Medical Corps in World War 1 where he developed better vaccination techniques in order to protect the soldiers from smallpox. Through his service and studies, he became an expert on head injuries, working primarily in New York.

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WHAT TO KNOW IN CASE OF A CLAIM

August 16, 2021

Below is a list of four things you should NEVER, EVER do if you suspect that you are about to be named in a claim. But before we get down into the details of how to handle a claim it is critical to go over your medical malpractice insurance policy to find out how your insurance company will respond to a claim. ACADEMIC GROUP INCIDENT TRIGGER The first thing you want to check is whether the policy has an Incident or Written Demand claim-trigger. Fortunately, physicians that are covered under the Academic Group policy have an incident trigger in their policy which is always preferred in case of a claim. An incident trigger allows a physician to report an incident to the insurance company that has the potential to turn into a claim in the future. With the incident-trigger, you can speak with a claim adviser right away and prepare for your defense, even no claim has been filed against you yet. In addition to the incident trigger, Academic Group also provides its policy holders with a free, 100% confident and secure, phone line (https://www.academicgroup.com/contact-us) for discussing potential claims with New York based claim attorneys. If you currently practice in New York under a written-demand trigger policy, you may want to consider contacting Academic Group for a quote. The written-demand-trigger prevents a physician from reporting a claim until a lawsuit has been filed. Policies with a written-demand-trigger tent to be cheaper and sometimes, in order to save premium, a provider might decide to purchase a policy with a written-demand-trigger. This is not recommended. WORRIED ABOUT A CLAIM? DO’S AND DONT’S If you are given written notice or you suspect you are about to have a claim, avoid the following: 1. Alter or revise the patient's medical records . Every claim-attorney will tell you that even if you see an error in the medical records, you should refrain from making changes or altering. Leave the medical records as is and provide them to your attorney with a separate note identifying the error or mistake. 2. Release medical records or any other patient or practice information without consulting with your medical malpractice insurance company. You pay your premium every year so that if a claim arrises, your insurance company will defend you. Talk to your company before sending out anything patient or practice information. 3. Discuss the claim with anyone other than your attorney or the malpractice insurance company claim-representatives. Claims are stressful and it's natural to want to discuss your situation with friends or colleagues. Don’t do it. Keep the claim details to yourself and only discuss your claim with your assigned attorney or the insurance company claim manager. 4. Reach out to contact the patient or their attorney. If you think reaching out to the patient or their attorney will help you with a claim, think again. If you are still considering, first reach out to your insurance company claim representatives and attorneys and let them know you are thinking of contacting the patient or the patient's representatives. They will advise you on the proper communication channels or perhaps provide you a list of reasons that this might be a bad idea. Confidential legal advice line at NO COST to ACADEMIC GROUP insureds: 1-855-444-0554

Why “Ones” (First Year Medical School Students), Prioritize Buying Long Term Disability Insurance.

July 28, 2021

Even though most “Ones” or first year medical students are not known for having extra money in the bank after digging deep and paying lab fees, books, tuition, most make a point of locking down affordable Long Term Disability Insurance with the best coverages and terms during their first year of medical school. Let’s face it, ones” prioritize purchasing Long term type of coverage because they are still young, at their healthiest and training for a medical career with many profitable years ahead. But very quickly, working in the medical industry, they witness terrible medical situations or medical accidents. They start to see, firsthand, what families have to go through when someone can no longer work and the realization that medical costs are about to overwhelm them. Some leaders or Deans of medical schools will arrange for independent, non-affiliated, disability insurance agencies to come in and offer seminars and sign-up/quoting with high-quality, A-Rated (AMBest) long-term coverage. No matter your situation it's always a good idea to make sure that coverage is sufficient and in-line with your current income and earning potential. If you never bought a policy and you might be thinking that it's too late to get a policy in place, ask yourself, what would happen to your family and loved ones if you were sidelined and unable to earn a living. AHPIA does not provide Long Term Disability Coverage but works closely with an extensive network of highly rated, fully licensed agents that can offer coverage advice and free quotes. If you would like to learn more about Long-Term Disability Insurance coverage please click here: https://www.academicgroup.com/get-a-quote and leave your information along with the code: DISABILITY and we will put you in touch with a licensed and qualified Long Term Disability Agent and someone who will personally go over various policy features, pricing and insurance terms free of charge with absolutely no pressure to buy. AFFORDABLE SHORT TERM MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS, INTERNS, FELLOWS, ROTATIONS AVAILABLE HERE : https://ampimedmal.com/ If you are a medical student, foreign medical student/graduate, intern, fellow or a medical professional needing short term medical malpractice insurance coverage with fair and low rates, please click here and fill out our online form. AHPIA wishes you a long, healthy, satisfying, profitable career in medicine. We thank our “First-Line Responders” for everything they do and we will always work with our clients to provide the best coverage and the lowest price.