Cobb & Company ~ Discussing solutions to racial and ethnic health disparities

About Cobb & Company ~ Discussing solutions to racial and ethnic health disparities

This new podcast series from the W. Montague Cobb Institute features interviews with thought leaders and change makers who are ending health disparities, achieving equitable representation in the healthcare workforce, mentoring clinician scientists, and increasing diversity in clinical trial participation. The Cobb Institute is an independent organization founded by the National Medical Association to lead research into racial and ethnic health disparities, and to advocate for solutions in five key areas: disparities awareness, workforce representation and resiliency, diverse participation in medical research, equitable access to healthcare, and equitable outcomes in healthcare. Randall C. Morgan Jr., MD, MBA, President and CEO of the W. Montague Cobb Institute, is the lead host. Guest hosts will be drawn from Cobb Institute staff and from the Cobb Institute Board of Directors. Dr. W. Montague Cobb was a distinguished professor of anatomy at Howard University, who combined a physician’s mindset with physical anthropology, anatomy research, and a lifelong commitment to mentoring medical students, physicians and scientists. He was determined to confront racial disparities in medicine, and to advance equitable representation across healthcare and the sciences.

Publisher

W. Montague Cobb Institute

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 May 2024

Latest episode

2 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Mar 2026

   Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Health Legacy: From Civil Rights to COVID-19 Action

   OVERVIEW: This episode honors the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., featuring Dr. Randall C. Morgan Jr., President, Montague Cobb Institute, with Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. and Dr. Leon McDougall reflecting on his leadership and lasting influence on health justice. Speakers discuss Reverend Jackson’s strategic vision—his 10-point plan and the COVID-19 Public Health Manifesto—his advocacy for universal healthcare, attention to vulnerable groups (incarcerated people, public-transportation users, student-athletes), and his role in strengthening community health centers and FQHCs. The conversation ends with a call to action: deepen the NMA–Rainbow PUSH partnership, mobilize community-based care and mobile clinics, and invest in young Black scholars and leaders to carry forward Jackson’s work for health equity. DETAILS: Rev. Jackson was often described as a “Drum Major for Justice,” and throughout his life he challenged institutions and individuals alike to expand the promise of democracy and opportunity to all people. His leadership consistently emphasized that access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity are fundamental pillars of justice. The National Medical Association and the Cobb Institute were privileged to benefit from Rev. Jackson’s insight, advocacy, and direct engagement over many years. His strategic counsel and moral clarity helped inspire initiatives that advanced health equity and strengthened the voice of Black physicians and health professionals. To reflect on this legacy, Dr. Randall C. Morgan Jr., MD, MBA, former 95th President of the National Medical Association, convened a discussion recorded on February 24, 2026, joined by Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., 126th President of the National Medical Association, and Dr. Leon McDougle, 121st President of the National Medical Association. Together they share reflections on Rev. Jackson’s influence on the National Medical Association, the broader struggle for health justice, and the continuing work required to ensure that healthcare is an attainable right for all, not a privilege for a few. Rev. Jackson’s vision extended far beyond any single movement or moment in time. He called upon leaders across professions—including physicians, researchers, and public health advocates—to serve their communities with courage, compassion, and determination. As we reflect upon his life, the Cobb Institute and the National Medical Association reaffirm our commitment to the ideals he championed: justice, dignity, opportunity, and health equity for every community. We invite you to watch (YouTube) and share this tribute as we honor the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Video version on Cobb Website: https://www.thecobbinstitute.org/webinar-series

2. 

   2 Oct 2025

   19. When Minutes Matter: Dr. Selwyn Rogers on Ending Chicago’s South Side Trauma Desert and Disrupting Cycles of Violence

   Dr. Selwyn Rogers Jr. recounts his journey to establish an adult Level I trauma center at the University of Chicago Medicine, driven by high-profile tragedies, community advocacy, and a vision to treat trauma as a chronic public-health issue rather than a single event. He describes the center’s launch, the role of hospital systems and community partnerships, hospital-based violence prevention, and the broader social determinants that shape health and life expectancy on Chicago’s South Side. Further reading: Hope — Beyond Firearm Trauma in NEJMAuthor: Selwyn O. Rogers, Jr., M.D., M.P.H. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2214971 Biography Selwyn O. Rogers Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, is a widely respected surgeon and public health expert. As founding director of the University of Chicago Medicine Trauma Center, Dr. Rogers is building an interdisciplinary team of specialists to treat patients who suffer injury from life-threatening events, such as car crashes, serious falls and gun violence. His team works with leaders in the city's trauma network to expand trauma care on the South Side. Dr. Rogers has served in leadership capacities at health centers across the country, including most recently as vice president and chief medical officer for the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Rogers has also served as the chair of surgery at Temple University School of Medicine and as the division chief of trauma, burns and surgical critical care at Harvard Medical School. While at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), he helped launch the Center for Surgery and Public Health to understand the nature, quality and utilization of surgical care nationally and internationally. Additionally, as executive vice president for community health engagement, Dr. Rogers works with faculty across the University of Chicago as well as members of the community to develop a multidisciplinary approach to trauma care and health disparities. His work will help enhance the understanding of social factors that affect victims of violence and underserved populations, in addition to identifying approaches necessary to achieving better outcomes for trauma victims. Dr. Rogers' clinical and research interests focus on understanding the healthcare needs of underserved populations. He has published numerous articles relating to health disparities and the impact of race and ethnicity on surgical outcomes. Transcript My name is Dr. Selwyn Rogers, Jr. I serve as a founding director of the Adult Trauma Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. As with any talk or speech to any audience, it's both important for the speaker to know the audience, but it's very helpful for the audience to know the speaker. For those in podcast land, you can't see me, so let me give you a few descriptors of what you'd be seeing if I was in a room with you. You'll be seeing a 6'4 black male who is cisgender, happily married, father of three African-American sons, a birthright citizen of the United States of America, who has a son who's gay, and a sister who's transgender. Those are descriptors of categories, of definitions of who Selwyn Rogers is, but they're only small descriptors. At a cocktail party, if I was to introduce myself, I would say I'm a trauma surgeon, which is what I do. I was compelled to join the University of Chicago Medicine eight years ago, leaving a very cozy life as a chief medical officer in Galveston, Texas, where I served as the chief medical officer with a beach house and a very comfortable living. And I was asked to consider standing up an adult level one trauma center on the south side of Chicago at the University of Chicago. Now, many people have been to the city of Chicago as I have been, but I actually had never stopped to think about the fact that there was no adult level one trauma center on the south side of Chicago. It had actually never crossed my mind. And so when I was first being wooed, invited. Recruited, I thought long and ha

3. 

   19 Sept 2025

   17. When Algorithms Hurt: Guiding Principles for Tackling AI Bias in Healthcare with Dr. Marshall Chin

   In this episode Dr. Marshall Chin discusses how AI and predictive algorithms are reshaping healthcare, and how bias can harm marginalized patients. He explains real-world examples of racial bias in clinical tools, the challenges of opaque “black box” models, and the need for transparency. Dr. Chin outlines five guiding principles—problem choice, data quality, explainability, community involvement, and accountability—to ensure algorithms promote equity rather than entrench injustice. Dr. Marshall Chin, MD, MPH, is a general internist with extensive experience improving the care of vulnerable patients with chronic disease. Dr. Chin is the Richard Parrillo Family Professor of Healthcare Ethics at the University of Chicago and the Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. He has worked to advance diabetes care and outcomes on the South Side through health care system and community interventions. He also leads initiatives to improve health strategies at a national level as director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)'s Finding Answers: Solving Disparities Through Payment and Delivery System Reform Program Office and Co-Director of the Merck Foundation's Bridging the Gap: Reducing Disparities in Diabetes Care National Program Office. Dr. Chin's major research focus is on improving shared decision making among health professionals and LGBTQ racial/ethnic minority patients. He has led investigations on health disparities in diabetes care in health centers serving vulnerable populations with limited assets. Special Communication Health Informatics: Guiding Principles to Address the Impact of Algorithm Bias on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care. Marshall H. Chin, MD, MPH; Nasim Afsar-Manesh, MD, MBA, MHM; Arlene S. Bierman, MD, MS et al https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2812958 Full AI Symposium at NMA JULY 2025 Convened by Cobb Institute: https://www.thecobbinstitute.org/webinar-series