Art by Daniel Silverstein; Logo design by Leigh Plasil
Previous Issues:
When we set out to establish a medical arts magazine, we wanted to select a name that would capture the trailblazing spirit that runs through the fabric of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. At its inception, the School of Medicine has sought to reinvent medical education to address the social determinants of health that underpin the striking health disparities in our country. Dr. Bonita Stanton, founding dean of the school, not only understood the importance of tackling these health inequities, but has since inspired a generation of physicians to work toward social change and innovation.
Dr. Stanton’s impact began in Dhaka, Bangladesh where she partnered with community members to treat and prevent infant diarrheal disease. She trained 25 local women to administer oral rehydration solution, which over the course of three years became 2,000 local women and the largest national health program of the World Bank at the time. Dr. Stanton's legacy has since been carried on by the physicians she trained. In 2015, Dr. Stanton’s mentee, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, uncovered the Flint water crisis in Michigan, citing that this work would not have been possible without the influence of Dr. Stanton. Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s research and advocacy shed light on lead poisoning contributing to poor health outcomes of children in the community.
By naming this publication Ripple Magazine, we hope to elicit the power of the “ripple effect” in which an action as simple as ensuring access to clean water propagates into an enormous positive impact on the quality and outcome of a patient’s life. We honor the legacies of changemakers like Dr. Stanton and Dr. Hanna-Attisha as we publish stories from members of the community they inspired.
– Sania Ali, Mackenzie Fox, Priya Bhave, & Mira Blecherman, 2022 Cohort
