Remembering the Past, Helping to Nurture the Future
Dr. Whitney Postman, an assistant professor in the Doisy College of Health Sciences, was awarded matching funds from the Center for Neuroscience for a special event sponsored by her Neuro-rehabilitation of Language Lab. With the funding, she screened the award-winning documentary film 鈥淭he Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital鈥� for her Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) group of low-income African American older adults from North St. Louis.
This work is supported by the 抖阴pro School of Medicine鈥檚 Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program. The screening took place in November 2019 on campus.
The participants of Dr. Postman鈥檚 CST group live in the historic neighborhood of The Ville in North St. Louis where Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the premier training site for African American physicians, nurses and other health professionals, once flourished. From its inauguration in 1937 to its forced closing in 1979, this legendary hospital was in the heart of The Ville. Dr. Postman鈥檚 group was deeply moved by the powerful documentary about the former Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
鈥淚t was very significant to my African American elders because not only did they grow up near the Hospital, but we gathered on the grounds of the former Homer G. Phillips Hospital for our CST group,鈥� says Dr. Postman. 鈥淲hile we mostly discussed health conditions that can put you at risk for dementia, such as diabetes and COPD, we also very openly talked about racial and gender health disparities. This was a very meaningful event supported by the Center for Neuroscience.鈥�
