{"id":231499,"date":"2025-06-04T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T19:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=231499"},"modified":"2025-06-04T15:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T19:13:00","slug":"empowering-equity-in-the-emergency-department","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/06\/empowering-equity-in-the-emergency-department\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Equity in the Emergency Department"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the high-stakes environment of an emergency department where seconds matter and emotions run high, the smallest acts of awareness and compassion can make a life-changing difference, especially for patients from marginalized communities.<\/p>\n

That belief has driven two clinicians in the UConn John Dempsey Hospital Emergency Department (ED), Dr. Danielle Mailloux, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Dr. Heather Kurtzman, physician assistant, to take action far beyond the scope of their daily roles. Without any formal administrative title or department mandate, they\u2019ve voluntarily launched a series of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that are reshaping how emergency care is delivered and received at UConn Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus has always been on improving the patient experience and quality of care for those who are too often overlooked or underserved,\u201d says Mailloux. \u201cThat includes our deaf patients, patients who speak English as a second language, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and people of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Centering Care on Women\u2019s Health and Dignity<\/strong><\/p>\n

The initiative began with a focus on women\u2019s health particularly care for patients who have experienced sexual assault. Mailloux and Kurtzman noticed gaps in training, workflow, and equipment that made these already traumatic encounters even harder for patients and providers alike.<\/p>\n

In response, they organized educational workshops led by forensic nurse examiners, retraining all ED Physician Assistants and inviting voluntary participation from board-certified emergency physicians. They established a new provider call list for sexual assault exams, created dedicated sexual assault supply bins stocked with essential items, and secured a specialized OB\/GYN exam bed for proper pelvic evaluations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe old setup was completely inadequate, we were using makeshift props to perform some of the most sensitive exams a patient can go through,\u201d says Kurtzman. \u201cNow we have the right equipment, the right training, and a process that treats patients with the dignity and care they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also worked with UConn Health\u2019s pharmacy team to stock more inclusive emergency contraception options, including medications effective for patients with higher body weight, an important but often overlooked gap in reproductive care. New electronic order sets for sexual health and STD treatment were developed to streamline care for providers, increasing both consistency and timeliness.<\/p>\n

Their work didn\u2019t stop at the bedside. A Women\u2019s Health Symposium<\/a> co-hosted by the Emergency Department, featuring guest speakers and multidisciplinary collaboration with departments such as OB-GYN, is scheduled for later in the month.<\/p>\n

Building a More Inclusive Space for All Patients<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Heather
Emergency Department providers Heather Kurtzman, PA-c , and Danielle Mailloux, MD in front of the emergency entrance at UConn Health. May 27, 2025 (Tina Encarnacion)\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mailloux and Kurtzman\u2019s efforts expanded quickly from women\u2019s health to other vulnerable populations. Recognizing ongoing complaints from Deaf patients and their families, they developed a new patient flow to ensure faster, more reliable access to live interpreters. They also created visual cue cards with simple phrases translated into multiple languages to ease communication while patients wait for interpretation services.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur interpreters are incredible, but they’re stretched thin,\u201d says Mailloux. \u201cThis workflow helps us respect both our patients and our interpreter colleagues, making the experience better for everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

To support LGBTQ+ patients, they hosted a powerful panel discussion featuring trans individuals, parents of children who have transitioned, and other community voices. This session helped educate staff about the patient\u2019s perspective and led to real changes. They distributed rainbow badge tags and pronoun stickers for ID badges and advocated successfully for inclusive signage throughout the department.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust seeing a flag or a pronoun sticker can mean the world to a patient who\u2019s used to feeling invisible or unsafe in medical settings,\u201d says Kurtzman. \u201cThese aren\u2019t just symbols; they\u2019re signals of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Small Changes, Big Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of Mailloux and Kurtzman\u2019s projects focus on small, actionable ways to make the ED feel more compassionate and inclusive. They advocated for a wider range of bandage tones of different skin colors. They assembled comfort kits and clothing for patients who must surrender their garments after an assault. They created QR-code posters in restrooms linking discreetly to resources for addiction recovery, human trafficking, and domestic violence, offering a safe and private way for patients to ask for help.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve also collaborated with UConn Health\u2019s addiction services and the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) to host educational sessions about stigma, harm reduction, and recovery bringing in speakers with lived experience, including CCAR leaders and community-based police officers from a local human trafficking task force.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to combine education with action,\u201d Kurtzman explains. \u201cThat way, we\u2019re not just learning we\u2019re changing the environment to reflect those lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Grassroots Movement That\u2019s Gaining Momentum<\/strong><\/p>\n

While their work began informally, word has spread. Educational sessions are now open to staff across UConn Health, and participation continues to grow. Their recent Winter Donation Drive for Hartford\u2019s House of Bread marked the Emergency Department\u2019s first coordinated community outreach effort a milestone they hope to build on with more events.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work has really lit a fire under us,\u201d Mailloux says. \u201cWe\u2019re just people who care deeply about our patients and our colleagues and we\u2019ve realized we actually can make changes that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our passion project,\u201d says Kurtzman. \u201cIt\u2019s voluntary. We do it on our own time. But we believe that everyone who walks into our ED deserves to feel safe, respected, and seen. And that belief is what keeps us going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mailloux and Kurtzman\u2019s work has already changed the Emergency Department in tangible, visible ways, but their mission is far from over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen how small changes can lead to big improvements,\u201d says Mailloux. \u201cNow we\u2019re asking bigger questions, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those questions involves the use of hallway beds, a frequent source of frustration among patients and a growing concern in emergency care settings across the country. Mailloux and Kurtzman have begun researching the demographics of patients placed in hallway beds to explore whether any racial, ethnic, or systemic disparities exist in those decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about making sure that unconscious bias isn\u2019t playing a role in who gets full room placement and who doesn\u2019t,\u201d says Kurtzman. \u201cWe want to make sure every decision we make is rooted in fairness, medical urgency, and equity, not assumption.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, they\u2019re rolling out a new educational initiative in the ED\u2019s waiting area: informational slides on TV screens that explain how the Emergency Department works, what patients should expect, and why someone else may be seen before them. The slides will also address common concerns about hallway beds, providing honest, compassionate explanations about how those decisions are made and why it may lead to faster care.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want patients to feel informed and empowered,\u201d says Mailloux.<\/p>\n

Mailloux and Kurtzman know that not every problem can be solved overnight. But their work proves that with a clear purpose, grassroots leadership, and an unwavering commitment to equity, even a busy Emergency Department can become a more inclusive, compassionate, and responsive place to receive care.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been pretty cool,\u201d says Mailloux. \u201cPatients are noticing. Colleagues are noticing. And we\u2019re just grateful to be part of something that\u2019s working and evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Grassroot diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are improving care and experience for UConn Health\u2019s most vulnerable patients. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":231504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715,2231,2388,2287,1868,179,2295],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2209],"class_list":["post-231499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact","category-health-well-being","category-healthcare-workforce","category-orthopedics","category-meds","category-uconn-health","category-womens-health"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-29 07:17:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":231506,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231499\/revisions\/231506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/231504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231499"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=231499"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=231499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}