Four students from the Urban Medicine program rewrote an American Medical Association resolution and got it passed at the Association’s recent meeting. Jessie Klugman, Soobin Kim, Alex Kenefake, and Maya McKeown collaborated to rework the resolution to better support students nationally who are living with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Maya McKeown at AMA House of Delegates

The resolution requested the AMA to support the development of a sickle cell emergency plan for in-school use, especially during sickle cell crises; and to support the education of teachers and school officials on the need for in-school accommodations, as well as policies promoting the continuity of education during prolonged absences, which are common in SCD.

McKeown attended the AMA’s November 2019 House of Delegates meeting in San Diego and testified in favor of the resolution. Her testimony, which drew on recent patient interviews conducted by her collaborators, included the anecdote of a 14-year-old UI Health patient who described how serious his disease is, yet feels his teacher does not know SCD exists. Representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics and The American Society for Hematology also testified in support of the resolution. Reflecting upon her experience, McKeown added, “It’s wonderful to know that these groups understand the necessity for increased policy and advocacy for kids with SCD, not only because of the severity of this lifelong, debilitating disease, but also its intersection with racial and educational equity.” The resolution was passed and became AMA policy the next day.

All four collaborators are second-year students at UMed, the Urban Medicine program at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. The program seeks to prepare physician-leaders to serve urban, underserved communities through community engagement, policy, and advocacy.