Dartmouth Health’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging partnering with Geisel School of Medicine for conversation on caring for Muslim patients during Ramadan

Muslim family sharing pita bread while eating dinner on Ramadan

Since the creation of Dartmouth Health's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) one year ago in April 2022, the health system has committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone to thrive, honoring all within the organization and the communities Dartmouth Health serves. One critical component of this is cultural competency, and showing care and respect for the cultural differences, practices and convictions of our patients, staff and visitors.

As Muslims around the world currently observe the holy month of Ramadan, the Office of DEIB will partner with the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth for the latest installment of its "Conversations that Matter" webinar series. On Thursday, April 13, at 12 pm EST, members of the Dartmouth Health and Geisel communities and the public are invited to view a livestream panel discussion on "Caring for Muslim Patients During Ramadan." Moderated by Lisa McBride, PhD, associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Geisel, and Abdul Rahman Latif, Muslim chaplain and associate director of the William Jewett Tucker Center at Dartmouth College, panelists will share how healthcare providers can optimize Muslim patient health by learning about Ramadan. A basic understanding of Ramadan will help promote shared decision making with improved provider-patient partnerships, leading to better care for sick Muslim patients during the holiday, which takes place this year from March 22 until the evening of April 20.

Panelists for this event include:

  • Jibran Ahmad, MD, a diagnostic radiologist at Dartmouth Health's Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) and assistant professor of radiology at Geisel
  • Amal H. Al Ebrahim, MD, an obstetrics and gynecology resident physician at DHMC
  • Fatima S. Haidar, a medical student at Geisel
  • Saif M. Ansari, a medical student at Geisel

"The Office of DEIB at Dartmouth Health is proud to partner with Geisel for this important conversation with the goal of improving outcomes and experiences for our Muslim patients," said Teresa D. Malcolm, MD, MBA, FACOG, vice president of DEIB at Dartmouth Health. "As healthcare providers, having greater sensitivity and understanding of our patients' religious and cultural backgrounds increases the trust they have in us, and allows us to do our best work possible. I deeply appreciate the panelists' willingness to share their experiences as Muslims working in medicine to allow the rest of us to learn and improve."

Registration for this webinar is free and required. To register, go to our Webinar Registration - Zoom website.

About Dartmouth Health

Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire's only academic health system and the state's largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 56 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the state’s only children’s hospital, and multiple clinic locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene and New London, NH, and Bennington and Windsor, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.