Dr. Karol Watson, the John Mazziotta, M.D. Ph.D Professor of Medicine and professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was recently appointed by the White House to serve on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Minority Health. Watson, who serves as the director of the UCLA Women's Cardiovascular Health Center and the UCLA-Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Health Program and co-director of the UCLA Program in Preventive Cardiology, has contributed extensively to uncovering racial and ethnic disparities in heart disease and diabetes through her work leading major national studies. Now, her experience will directly influence U.S. health care policy. She was officially sworn into her post in early November.
"Having been involved in issues of equity, diversity and health most of my career, this appointment is so meaningful to me," Watson said. "I get a seat at the big table."
The committee is composed of individuals from all walks of life who have experience in minority health. It emphasizes equal representation of a wide range of minority groups, such as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Black Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives and Hispanic or Latino populations. In her first meeting with the committee, Watson and the group discussed updates to race-ethnic definitions for data collection purposes that will be rolled out in 2025 and how these could impact diverse communities.
"My goal is to make sure our governmental policies include diverse perspectives on minority health concerns," Watson said.