Striving For a More Equitable Future

In recent years, advancing equity and justice in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine has been a growing priority. two women in particular are leading the charge — Katie Heiden-Rootes, Ph.D., and Ritika Jain, a second-year medical student at SLU. by enacting structural change and creating opportunities for important dialogue, new spaces are emerging for women and underrepresented individuals to find support through mentorship and camaraderie. 

Reimagining Equity and Justice at SLU

As a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT), Dr. Heiden-Rootes brings a unique perspective to issues of equity and justice, both in and out of the academic realm. Since starting at SLU in 2015 as assistant professor, Dr. Heiden-Rootes has advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion to take a larger stage at SLU.

Along with Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., she started the first departmental Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the School of Medicine.

“Given SLU’s mission, it seemed like so much of SLU was focused on serving the community—but they weren’t taking care of themselves in the same regard,” she says. 

In January 2021, Dr. Heiden-Rootes was announced as the faculty fellow for equity issues in the Office of Provost, a role that allows her to encourage the university to “look in the mirror” and prioritize long-term changes. “This is my next point of intervention,” she shares. “I’m not interested in just healing—although healing is also needed—but I’m interested in prevention work and structural changes where we can end the inequity, not just fix the back end of it.” 

As Dr. Heiden-Rootes progresses in her role, she’s increasingly aware of aligning the university’s actions with their values. “There’s often a disconnect in academic settings between the thing you want to do and what makes the university look good and get high rankings,” she says. “The pursuit of truth is one of the really uncomfortable parts about DEI work. We have to face what’s actually happening as opposed to what we wish was happening.” 

This search for truth and dedication to service is also present in Dr. Heiden-Rootes’ own therapy practice and her role as director of the Center of Counseling and Family Therapy in St. Louis.

“We serve a lot of local folks in St. Louis City, Midtown, and St. Louis County. We serve about 50 percent people of color, mostly low income. Many of them don’t have health insurance,” she says.

As director, Dr. Heiden-Rootes manages policies and oversees the entire operation— but the majority of the day-to-day work is performed by graduate students. The Center of Counseling and Family Therapy also includes The Aging and Memory Clinic, run by Max Zubatsky, and the Family Clinic for Queer and Trans Youth, run by Dr. Heiden-Rootes. 

As Dr. Heiden-Rootes’s career revolves around deepening SLU’s equity and justice initiatives, she considers SLU’s mission—and its impact on the greater St. Louis community.

“When I think about equity, I think about health. If I have a healthy village or community, I will thrive. I will be well. Service to humanity includes us,” she says. “We are the humanity. Our faculty from underrepresented and marginalized communities are our humanity. We are not saviors, we are people. We get so focused on being the givers, we forget that we need to receive and be part of the change.” 

Students Seeking Change

For Ritika Jain, a second-year medical student, women’s and equity organizations are a key part of her experience at SLU thus far. A natural leader, Jain is involved with the Student National Medical Association, the American Medical Women’s Association, and the SLU School of Medicine Orientation Committee. After completing her undergraduate degree with majors in molecular and cellular biology and psychology at the University of Illinois, Jain went directly to medical school. “I really resonated with SLU’s mission and their emphasis on mental health,” she says. 

As a member of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), an association for underrepresented minorities in medicine, Jain leads community service outreach projects. “I look to community organizations to see where we, as students, can help and give back,” she says. Initiatives include gardening and maintenance at local shelters, donating items, and hosting health advocacy events. “We discuss the benefits of health screenings, why taking care of your health is important, and perform free blood pressure screenings for members of the community,” Jain explains. “We’re also working on a project called Fun Fitness Fridays, where we go to local elementary schools and teach students about health, wellness, fitness, and mental health, all while engaging in an opportunity for mentorship.” 

“We recently had a panel with female physicians who spoke about their path to medicine and how the role of women has changed and become more prevalent in recent years,” Jain recalls. “We also talked about challenges and struggles—because as much as we like to think that women are equal to their male counterparts in medicine, that’s still not exactly true. Women face many obstacles that many men don’t encounter on their journey in medicine.” 

As Jain prepares to start clinicals in March of 2022, she’s gearing up for her own new challenge. And although she’s keeping her options open in terms of what kind of medicine she hopes to practice in the coming years, she’s focused on making SLU a better place for incoming students—particularly women and underrepresented minorities. As a member of the Orientation Committee, she’s excited to welcome the incoming class at SLU School of Medicine with open arms.

“I really like connecting with the classes that come after me,” she says. “I enjoy guiding younger students through the processes that I went through. I remember being in those shoes and being overwhelmed, nervous, and confused. I’m so grateful for the people that have helped me thus far, and this truly emphasized the importance of collaboration in the career of medicine.”