Pioneering Paths: Khama Ennis and Thea James Unveil the Triumphs and Challenges of Black Women in Medicine in ”Faces of Medicine’ Documentary”

In today's episode I speak with Drs. Khama Ennis and Thea James. We focus our discussion on the docuseries Khama created Faces of Medicine. This is a 4 part participatory documentary series centering on the path of Black female physicians in the United States. Thea is a participant in the documentary. She is a nationally and internationally renowned emergency medicine physician at Boston Medical Center.

Khama Ennis MD MPH is is the Creative Visionary and Founder of Faces of Medicine. She is also a practicing  physician, speaker, writer, health equity advocate and experienced healthcare leader. Dr. Ennis opened a private practice, Intentional Health, in 2023 focused on Integrative Health and Lifestyle Medicine for patients throughout Massachusetts. She previously served as President of the Medical Staff at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Prior to that she was Chief of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for the Emergency Department. Her essays have been featured in the Washington Post and Parents Magazine. A talk she gave on antiracism in medicine is one of three selected by the Board of Registration in Medicine to educate physicians in the state of Massachusetts on implicit bias.

Thea James MD is Vice President of Mission, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Executive Director of the Health Equity Accelerator Boston Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the Violence Intervention Advocacy Program at BMC. She is a founding member of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (the HAVI). In 2011 she was appointed to Attorney General Eric Holder’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. As Vice President of Mission Dr. James works with caregivers throughout BMC. Additionally she has primary responsibility for coordinating and maximizing BMC’s relationships and strategic alliances with a wide range of local, state and national organizations including community agencies, housing advocates, foundations, and multisector industries that partner with BMC to meet the full spectrum of patients’ needs. The goal is to foster innovative, upstream, and effective new models of care that are rooted in racial equity and economic mobility. This approach is essential for patients and communities to thrive.