“As a health care provider, I think it’s important for others to speak to their patients about the impact of historical racism and trauma. What we universally know is that simply just acknowledging the fact that racism exists and historical inequities exist – in the context of a safe and supportive relationship with your patient – is empowering.” – Dr. Roy Wade, Jr.

Roy Wade, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, MSHP, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and a general pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and serves as a member of the Pathways to Resilience Advisory Committee. As a member of the Advisory Committee, Dr. Wade advances evidence-based and promising practices to address trauma, toxic stress, and inequities by collaborating with other cross-sector practitioners, researchers, and thought leaders.

Dr. Wade’s work focuses on the connection between childhood adversity, poverty, and well-being and aims to improve community-level systems of care and access to protective factors. His research has built upon the original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study by interviewing young adults in economically distressed neighborhoods in Philadelphia about stressful experiences, such as witnessing violence or experiencing racism, that were not included in the original study.

In this video, the first in a series profiling Pathways to Resilience Advisory Committee members, Dr. Wade emphasizes the importance of health care providers speaking to their patients about the impact of historical racism and trauma and explains how providing a safe and supportive environment for patients can be both empowering and healing. Echoing Delaware First Spouse Tracey Quillen Carney, Chair of the Pathways to Resilience Steering Committee, Dr. Wade highlights how the initiative is creating an “opportunity for sharing of information, resources, and knowledge that will help really accelerate the work.”

Watch the video below to hear more. State officials are invited to join our Pathways Learning Network session on July 20, 2022, where Dr. Wade will discuss racism and discrimination as sources of trauma and toxic stress. Click here to register.