Future Initiatives by the Skin of Color Society in Dermatology, with Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc

In a new interview with HCPLive editorial team, Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, assistant professor of dermatology for the USC Keck School of Medicine, was asked about her role as newly-elected president of the Skin of Color Society (SOCS).

Elbuluk, known for her work specializing in pigmentary disorders and skin, hair, and nail conditions impacting individuals of color, was asked a number of questions while attending SOCS’ annual scientific symposium in Orlando prior to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conference. First, she was asked if she had advice for healthcare providers looking to advocate for equitable care within their practices and institutions.

“I think every institution, hospital system, should be working to deliver equitable care,” Elbuluk explained. “I think part of how you do that is making sure that your healthcare professionals, everybody on the team, is equipped with taking care of diverse populations. That means having training and cultural humility in knowing you know different practices which may be relevant to different groups, having language translation services available, and knowing that everybody there is well-trained in what diseases look like in different skin types.”

Elbuluk was also asked about what her priorities will be for the SOCS and she envisions them impacting clinical practice.

“I'm incredibly honored to be the incoming president for the Skin of Color Society,” Elbuluk said. “The organization is incredible as it stands now, with how many programs we have and how many spaces we work in. Whether it's education, mentorship, advocacy, or research. We have programming across the board. One goal will be to continue to sustain and grow our current programming. Another really important goal for me this year is service. I'm very passionate about service, and I really want to build out a service arm for SOCS. We do a lot of work that's already giving service to our community, but really formalizing some of those programs and casting a wider net in terms of the programs that we do across the country and across the globe.”

Later, Elbuluk was asked about any ongoing or forthcoming initiatives by the Skin of Color Society aimed at reducing disparities in dermatologic care.

“The great news is that everything the Skin of Color Society does either directly or indirectly helps improve health equity,” Elbuluk explained. “That's really at the core of the work that we're doing. So again, whether it's the research that we're supporting, which are people across the US who are doing impactful research at the resident and attending level, whether it's mentorship and continuing to mentor and train the next generation of dermatologists. We now have, thanks to Dr. Barbosa, this new Center for Leadership and are continuing to train people…to become leaders in dermatology.”

For additional information, view the full video interview posted above. To learn more about the work of SOCS, follow the Skin of Color Savvy podcast series.

The quotes contained in this summary were edited for clarity.