In May, David Shalowitz, 新彩网, MSHP, became a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Board of Directors as a subspecialty representative for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO).
The appointment, which became official during the ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, gives Dr. Shalowitz, a clinical associate professor in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Ethics, Humanities, and Law at WMed, the opportunity to be a part of a national organization that is the premiere voice for women鈥檚 health care and the promotion of access to high-quality OB/GYN care.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge honor,鈥 Dr. Shalowitz said recently. 鈥淚鈥檓 privileged to serve and as cancer care specialists, including myself, what we do is an integral part of the continuum of women鈥檚 health care. I take that appointment very seriously and I鈥檓 looking forward to serving during the next two years.鈥
As he continues that advocacy at the national level, of equal importance to Dr. Shalowitz is the work he has undertaken since coming to Kalamazoo in 2023 to become the director for Health Equity and Community Outreach at the West Michigan Cancer Center (WMCC) and a faculty member at the medical school.
Over the last year, Dr. Shalowitz admits that the learning curve has been steep as he seeks to serve as a bridge between those delivering health care to cancer patients in Southwest Michigan and those who are studying the delivery of that care. Even more, he is intent, as part of his role at WMCC, on improving access to high-quality clinical care for cancer patients in the region.
鈥淭hat is my measure of success,鈥 Dr. Shalowitz said. 鈥淚 believe very firmly that every program has to be deeply sensitive to the nuances of local care delivery and that involves absolutely everything from the social and cultural needs of our patients who need cancer care to the infrastructure of the healthcare delivery system to the needs of the people who are actually delivering the care. I think the greatest challenge, which I take on with great enthusiasm, is to ensure that all stakeholders鈥 needs are considered as we seek to improve cancer heath equity in our community.鈥
Although the work ahead of him will be challenging, Dr. Shalowitz said he has hit the ground running and he is encouraged by the commitment from community stakeholders, including leaders at WMCC and WMed. Over the past year, Dr. Shalowitz has been able to garner grant support locally and nationally to implement programs to address disparities in cancer health equity. That grant support from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance is supporting initiatives to help improve access and communication between cancer patients, their general practice physicians, and subspecialty cancer clinicians with the use of telemedicine.
鈥淓veryone has been incredibly encouraging and helpful in terms of ensuring access to cancer care and I鈥檝e been very pleased with how collegial everyone has been,鈥 Dr. Shalowitz said. 鈥淭here is a very clear institutional commitment from WMCC and WMed to health equity and access to care and I鈥檓 just really thankful and privileged to take the lead on cancer health equity.鈥
Prior to coming to Kalamazoo, Dr. Shalowitz spent more than five years as an assistant professor in the Section on Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. While at Wake Forest, he also had a joint appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Implementation Science.
Dr. Shalowitz is an alumnus of Brown University where he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in religious studies and biology in 2003. After graduation, he completed a two-year clinical bioethics fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. In 2010, he earned his 新彩网 degree at University of Michigan Medical School and went on to complete his OB/GYN residency training at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
After residency, Dr. Shalowitz completed a three-year fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and, at the same time, earned his master鈥檚 degree in health policy research.
In making the decision to move to Kalamazoo with his wife and two children, Dr. Shalowitz said he was excited about the 鈥渋ncredible opportunity鈥 to develop the health equity program at WMCC and to be a part of the faculty at WMed.
鈥淚 consider it a huge strength that I am able to continue multidisciplinary work through my faculty appointment at WMed and I鈥檓 really happy the medical school prioritized a cross-departmental appointment that helps move the health equity agenda forward,鈥 Dr. Shalowitz said.
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