Welcome everyone to the Becker Health care podcast
team. I am Mariah Mohammed, Ryder and Moderator
Will Becker Health care. And I've thrilled also
to have with me today. Doctor. Leo Sa.
The new founding Dean of Xavier, Os, College
of Medicine. Doctor it's very nice to have
you on the podcast today. To get started,
would you mind, please d introducing yourself and
telling us a bit about your around?
Well, it's great to be here.
I'm... I'm actually a Cuban American who
as a a young child
to United States, and I grew up in
New Orleans.
You can hear in the accent.
And
very, very excited, proud to serve as the
privilege to serve as the founding need of
the College of medicine.
I may pulmonary critical care and lung transplant
physician by trade. I did my medical school
training at Ls sc in New orleans and
my residency in internal Medicine and Ua
followed by my pulmonary credit repair lung transplant
fellowship and
my career 25 year career has been in
medical education and so
being able to be part of the leadership
team to develop
this
or will be the fifth H
Medical School or Medical school in the United
States to train more diverse physicians to meet
the needs our community
is truly an honor and the privilege.
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank you so much for
giving us that background.
So with all you're doing right now, what
are some of the biggest issues you're following
in health care for this year?
Well, I think 1 of the biggest issues
that doesn't get all the depressed. Unless you
are
part of
a group this trying to hire physicians or
your patient who's trying to make an appointment
and the next available is 3 months down
the road.
Is that
today in the United States, we have a
physician
shortage crisis.
The Aa
which is the organization and
the association of American Medical colleges,
that oversees medical schools in the United States
every other year they put out a report.
It really estimates that estimates the physician shortage.
This report just came out a month ago
for 20 24
and it estimates that by 2036,
we will be 86000
positions.
Now of course,
for areas like the south or the state
of Louisiana where I live,
we feel that
much more acutely than other areas.
And so
starting a new medical school
to address the physician workforce crisis
is 1 of the things that's key in
top of my mind,
but there's another issue there. There's an incredible
laugh a diversity
among physicians. If we look at Hispanics, we
make up 19 percent of the U. S.
Population but we only make up 6.9
percent of U. S. Physicians.
If you look at
those who identify as African American or Black,
they make up 14 percent of the U.
S. Population, but they only make up 5.7
percent
of the U. S. Physicians.
And although the Aa amc
has had this as 1 of their
initiatives. So the last 30 years, to increase
diversity among U. S. Positions,
there has been little to no significant movement
in those percentages.
So
this is important,
not just for the social reasons.
It's also important for the health and wellness
or our communities because there's a growing data
that demonstrates that
when physicians represent the community they serve
those communities get better health care.
And so it really does help address some
of the health and inequities equities that we
see in space.
Yeah. Thank you so much for giving us
that information in those stats.
Is there anything that's making you excited or
nervous in health care?
Well,
I'm a critical care physician, so we don't
get very nervous, right? Time of crisis not
time to to to be nervous. So not
a lot makes me nervous. But there's a
lot that that that has me excited.
You know, 1 is obviously starting this new
medical school. Know, Xavier University
is the only Catholic
H
in the United States and and then
next year they'll be celebrating their hundredth
anniversary. And Za University of Louisiana
is a long history and excellence
in science
education. And in fact, they carry the distinction
of
putting more African Americans
and blacks
who complete medical school and then any other
university
in the United States.
And this this is not a large medical
not a large
college. So when you think about Xavier University
of Louisiana with this total student enrollment are
around 4000 students. And the fact that they
put more African American and Black
into medical school that completed then university universities
of Michigan with 50000 or any of these
Southeast conference schools that run 35000 to 40000.
It's client an achievement, and they consistently do
that. And so
After health, the largest academic health system in
the Gulf South,
largest
private poor and health care deliver in State
Louisiana,
our ability to partner with Natural institution like
Xavier.
To start the fifth H,
I mean, what can get you more excited
about that
and to train more doctors that will serve
our country.
In our region.
So
very, very excited about that. Also very excited
that
we will we will add
a different viewpoint to science and to medical
education, a diverse viewpoint that will help address
and put a focus on
certain diseases,
let's take for instance sickle cell that maybe
didn't get the focus of either because we
didn't have representative scientists and physicians
that we're asking the right questions about what's
the right care for our community. So
I'm very, very excited about that.
Yeah. Yeah. That completely makes sense. And doctor
before I let you go, The last thing
I really wanted to ask you is
in your opinion, what was the most effective
health leaders need in order to be successful
in the next 2 to 3 years.
I think
the ability
for healthcare leaders 1 to be agile
it's an ever changing landscape,
and it's very dynamic. And I've then and
it's a 25 year Career practicing medicine
in a 20 year career and leadership
is ever changing.
But I think the other key part of
being
an effective and good leader is the ability
to unleash the power diversity.
And that's diversity in every sense.
Diversity among the generations as we see more
generation wise entering the workforce.
That's diversity and thought
diversity people from different cultures and different backgrounds
who have a unique perspective and a different
perspective.
And leaders need to be able to take
that diverse viewpoints and really use that
to come up with new ideas
to tackle the challenges we face.
I think the leaders who can do that
will be the effective 1.
Yeah. Yeah. I completely agree. Thank you so
much for those final thoughts. This has definitely
been in a an a informative discussion.
Again, I wanna thank you so much for
coming on back Health care karen, and Look
forward to connecting with you again soon.
Thank you for having me. No. It's it's
my pleasure.
Request.