Medical student named to Mobile Equity Task Force

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson congratulates fourth-

year medical student Ravi Rajendra.

Ravi Rajendra, a fourth-year medical student at the USA College of Medicine, has been named to the City of Mobile’s first Equity Task Force, where he is part of a work group identifying healthcare inequities in the community, especially those related to race.

“I enjoy projects in which I can help build a better community,” said Rajendra, who plans to begin a residency in orthopedic surgery next fall. “As an orthopedic surgeon, I will one day work with patients to help them individually build healthier lives, but projects like the Equity Task Force allow for me to apply this same approach on a larger scale.”

The Equity Task Force is comprised of community residents of diverse backgrounds who will use design thinking to identify problems and solutions. Design thinking is a popular problem-solving approach that seeks to understand people’s needs and come up with innovative ways to meet those needs.

Rajendra, a Montgomery native, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of South Alabama, where he served as student body president. During that time, he also was an intern for the Mayor’s Millennial Challenge, where he helped to establish a local job training program for youth.

Ravi Rajendra, left, collaborates with members of Mobile's 

Equity Task Force.

“Since 2016, Ravi has been an advocate for a better Mobile,” said Anitra Belle Henderson, executive director of communications and external affairs for the City of Mobile. “We knew his passion for service and his strategic thinking would be needed on the Equity Task Force.”

After holding workshops, the healthcare work group already has identified two areas of healthcare inequities to address: health literacy and food insecurity, Rajendra said.

Health literacy refers to the degree to which someone can obtain, process and understand basic health information to make informed healthcare decisions. “For instance, I’ve seen patients here in Mobile with diabetes or high blood pressure who believe certain complications related to their illnesses are inevitable,” he said. “But by providing education, we can build trust in the community and often reduce complications related to those diseases.”

Food insecurity describes a family’s inability to provide enough food for people in the household to live an active, healthy life. “We’re looking at food deserts and the ability of citizens to acquire healthy food,” Rajendra said. “We’re looking to see whether the cause of food deserts is related to zoning or if the city can provide incentives to attract businesses that offer healthy food options.”