Joedrecka Brown Speights M.D., FAAFP
Professor and Chair of the Department; Co-Chair FSU CoM Wellness Committee; Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity
Biosketch
Joedrecka S. Brown Speights, M.D., is Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health at the Florida State University College of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and fellowship-trained in maternal child health (MCH). She is the 2018 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Distinguished Service Award by the Florida State University. Her experience includes serving as the medical director of the National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Office of Women’s Health, Department of Health and Human Services at Turley Family Health Center (USF Morton Plant Mease Family Medicine Residency), where she practiced full-scope family medicine including operative obstetrics, and global health. She is an alumna of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and completed medical training at Emory University School of Medicine before completing her residency at St. Vincent’s Family Medicine Residency in Jacksonville, Florida. She is a 2017 inaugural fellow of the George Washington University Leaders for Health Equity International Fellowship, now Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity. Her interests include promotion of health equity, especially MCH equity through community-engaged research, clinical care, advocacy and education. She is also focused on faculty vitality, wellness promotion, and empowerment of women and girls. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Gregory, and family, and vacation traveling adventures.
Education
B.S., Florida A&M University
M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
Residency, St. Vincent's Family Medicine Residency
Fellowship, West Suburban Maternal Child Health Fellowship
International Fellowship, Leaders for Health Equity George Washington University http://equityfellowship.gwhwi.org/
Service
Chair, Maternal and Child Health Equity Collaborative (2015 to present).
Junior Faculty Representative, Council of Faculty and Academic Societies, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2013–present).
Member, Florida State University College of Medicine Curriculum Committee (2012–present).
Member, Florida State University College of Medicine Research Advisory Council (2012–present).
Faculty Advisor, Florida State University College of Medicine Student National Medical Association (2012–present).
Steering Committee member, Minority and Multicultural Health Collaborative, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2017).
Member, Family Medicine for America's Health Health Equity Team (2016-2017).
Co-Chair, Minority and Multicultural Group, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2012–2016). Member (2012-present).
Program Planning Committee, Council of Faculty and Academic Societies, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2015–2017).
Research Committee, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2013–2017).
Honors/Awards
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award (2018)
Capital Area Healthy Start 25th Anniversary Benefit for Babies, Angel Honoree for Leadership and Support (2017).
Guardian of the Mission and Service Award, FSU College of Medicine (2014).
Memberships
Florida Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians
American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Research Focus
Health Equity, Maternal and Child Health including Adolescent Health, Black Infant Mortality, Community-Engaged Research, Underrepresented in Medicine Mentorship, Resilience and Wellness, and Faculty Development
Publications
Brown Speights, J. S., Nowakowski, A., De Leon, J., Mitchell, M. M., & Simpson, I. Engaging African American women in research: an approach to eliminate health disparities in the African American community. Fam Pract 2017 June; 34 (3): 322-329.
Chen F.M., Overstreet F., Cole A., Kost A., Brown Speights J.S. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Curricula in US Medical Schools: A CERA Study. PRiMER. 2017 June; 1:6.
Brown Speights, J.S., Goldfarb, S.S., Wells, B.A., Beitsch, L., Levine, R.S., Rust, G. State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, 1999-2013. AmJ Public Health. 2017 May;107(5):775–782.
Rodgers, D.V., Wendling, A.L., Saba, G.W., Mahoney, M.R., Brown Speights, J.S. Preparing Family Physicians to Care for Underserved Populations: A Historical Perspective. Family Medicine. 2017 Apr;49(4):304-310.
Brown Speights, J. S., Mitchell, M. M., Nowakowski, A., De Leon, J., & Simpson, I. (2015). Exploring the Cultural and Social Context of Black Infant Mortality. Practicing Anthropology, 37(4), 33-37.
Teaching About Racism in the Context of Persistent Health and Healthcare Disparities: How Educators Can Enlighten Themselves and Their Learners. Collaborative publication. May 2016 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) FMDRL at http://resourcelibrary.stfm.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=9be752f0-ba82-42b6-ba95-aab18af723f2.
Articles for Atlantic Fellows:
Preparing Family Physicians to Care for Underserved Populations: A Historical Perspective. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28414410.
State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, United States, 1999-2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28323476.
Engaging African American women in research: an approach to eliminate health disparities in the African American community. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28387794.
Creating Health Equity Curricula. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29537476.
Addressing Racism in Medical Education An Interactive Training Module. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29762795.
Pockets of progress amidst persistent racial disparities in low birthweight rates. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30063767.
Exploring the Cultural and Social Context of Black Infant Mortality. https://doi.org/10.17730/0888-4552-37.4.33.
Joedrecka S. Brown Speights, M.D., is Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health at the Florida State University College of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and fellowship-trained in maternal child health (MCH). She is the 2018 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Distinguished Service Award by the Florida State University. Her experience includes serving as the medical director of the National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Office of Women’s Health, Department of Health and Human Services at Turley Family Health Center (USF Morton Plant Mease Family Medicine Residency), where she practiced full-scope family medicine including operative obstetrics, and global health. She is an alumna of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and completed medical training at Emory University School of Medicine before completing her residency at St. Vincent’s Family Medicine Residency in Jacksonville, Florida. She is a 2017 inaugural fellow of the George Washington University Leaders for Health Equity International Fellowship, now Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity. Her interests include promotion of health equity, especially MCH equity through community-engaged research, clinical care, advocacy and education. She is also focused on faculty vitality, wellness promotion, and empowerment of women and girls. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Gregory, and family, and vacation traveling adventures.
B.S., Florida A&M University
M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
Residency, St. Vincent's Family Medicine Residency
Fellowship, West Suburban Maternal Child Health Fellowship
International Fellowship, Leaders for Health Equity George Washington University http://equityfellowship.gwhwi.org/
Chair, Maternal and Child Health Equity Collaborative (2015 to present).
Junior Faculty Representative, Council of Faculty and Academic Societies, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2013–present).
Member, Florida State University College of Medicine Curriculum Committee (2012–present).
Member, Florida State University College of Medicine Research Advisory Council (2012–present).
Faculty Advisor, Florida State University College of Medicine Student National Medical Association (2012–present).
Steering Committee member, Minority and Multicultural Health Collaborative, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2017).
Member, Family Medicine for America's Health Health Equity Team (2016-2017).
Co-Chair, Minority and Multicultural Group, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2012–2016). Member (2012-present).
Program Planning Committee, Council of Faculty and Academic Societies, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2015–2017).
Research Committee, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) (2013–2017).
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award (2018)
Capital Area Healthy Start 25th Anniversary Benefit for Babies, Angel Honoree for Leadership and Support (2017).
Guardian of the Mission and Service Award, FSU College of Medicine (2014).
Florida Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians
American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Health Equity, Maternal and Child Health including Adolescent Health, Black Infant Mortality, Community-Engaged Research, Underrepresented in Medicine Mentorship, Resilience and Wellness, and Faculty Development
Brown Speights, J. S., Nowakowski, A., De Leon, J., Mitchell, M. M., & Simpson, I. Engaging African American women in research: an approach to eliminate health disparities in the African American community. Fam Pract 2017 June; 34 (3): 322-329.
Chen F.M., Overstreet F., Cole A., Kost A., Brown Speights J.S. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Curricula in US Medical Schools: A CERA Study. PRiMER. 2017 June; 1:6.
Brown Speights, J.S., Goldfarb, S.S., Wells, B.A., Beitsch, L., Levine, R.S., Rust, G. State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, 1999-2013. AmJ Public Health. 2017 May;107(5):775–782.
Rodgers, D.V., Wendling, A.L., Saba, G.W., Mahoney, M.R., Brown Speights, J.S. Preparing Family Physicians to Care for Underserved Populations: A Historical Perspective. Family Medicine. 2017 Apr;49(4):304-310.
Brown Speights, J. S., Mitchell, M. M., Nowakowski, A., De Leon, J., & Simpson, I. (2015). Exploring the Cultural and Social Context of Black Infant Mortality. Practicing Anthropology, 37(4), 33-37.
Teaching About Racism in the Context of Persistent Health and Healthcare Disparities: How Educators Can Enlighten Themselves and Their Learners. Collaborative publication. May 2016 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) FMDRL at http://resourcelibrary.stfm.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=9be752f0-ba82-42b6-ba95-aab18af723f2.
Articles for Atlantic Fellows:
Preparing Family Physicians to Care for Underserved Populations: A Historical Perspective. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28414410.
State-Level Progress in Reducing the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, United States, 1999-2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28323476.
Engaging African American women in research: an approach to eliminate health disparities in the African American community. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28387794.
Creating Health Equity Curricula. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29537476.
Addressing Racism in Medical Education An Interactive Training Module. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29762795.
Pockets of progress amidst persistent racial disparities in low birthweight rates. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30063767.
Exploring the Cultural and Social Context of Black Infant Mortality. https://doi.org/10.17730/0888-4552-37.4.33.