1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,200 Welcome back to Boss Ladies in Healthcare, a series where I celebrate pioneering women 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,840 and girls transforming the medical field. 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:17,400 I'm Odette and today I'm shining a light on an older invention. 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:23,480 The brilliant mind behind this invention is Dr. Patricia Bath. 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:32,180 Patricia Era Bath was an ophthalmologist, laser scientist and inventor born on November 6 00:00:32,180 --> 00:00:37,360 4th of 1942 in Harlem, New York. 7 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:45,700 Bath's journey to becoming a leader figure in ophthalmology is nothing short of inspiring. 8 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:53,160 So let's take a moment to explore her early life and what ignited her passion for medicine. 9 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:59,600 So growing up in the vibrant yet challenging environment of Harlem, Patricia was encouraged 10 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,480 by her parents to pursue her dreams. 11 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:10,360 Her father was an immigrant from Trinidad and he was a newspaper columnist and a supporter 12 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:11,360 of the arts. 13 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:17,760 While her mother on the other hand was a housewife and domestic worker and she saved 14 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,440 her earnings so that she can support Patricia's education. 15 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:30,640 So this strong foundation led Patricia to excel academically and she was inspired by the stories 16 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,400 of medical pioneers. 17 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:42,000 So Bath's early education took place against the time of the civil rights movement, a period 18 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:49,940 of significant social change that would influence her commitment to equality in healthcare. 19 00:01:49,940 --> 00:01:57,240 Her scientific curiosity was sparked during a summer program at Yeshiva University 20 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,680 where she studied cancer research. 21 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:06,440 So after she finished high school, Bath attended Hunter College earning a bachelor's degree 22 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,140 in 1964. 23 00:02:09,140 --> 00:02:15,920 She then went on to Howard University College of Medicine where she earned her medical degree 24 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:18,880 in 1968. 25 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:26,160 Bath was not just a student, she was an activist participating in medical care during the civil 26 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:33,640 rights movement and co-founding the Student National Medical Association which is very 27 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:35,440 impressive. 28 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:42,760 So Bath's professional journey began to make waves during her fellowship at Columbia University 29 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:48,360 where she studied ophthalmology, her research on the incidence of blindness and the lack 30 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:56,280 of access to eye care in undeserved communities led her to develop community ophthalmology, 31 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:02,920 a discipline that combines aspects of public health which I'm a proud supporter of and 32 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:12,160 community medicine and the clinical ophthalmology to provide primary care to undeserved populations. 33 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:17,720 So I just love her stories so much because I'm so passionate about public health and 34 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,400 I like how she's blending her interests all together here. 35 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:32,360 And so moving on, Dr. Bath's significant invention came in 1986 when she created the 36 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:39,680 laserphaco probe, a device that revolutionized cataract surgery. 37 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:48,120 So this device used laser technology to painlessly and efficiently remove cataracts restoring 38 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:53,240 vision to patients who had been blind for decades. 39 00:03:53,240 --> 00:04:00,000 This invention not only transformed cataract surgery but also cemented her place in history 40 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:08,360 as the first African American woman to receive a patent for a medical purpose. 41 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:13,600 The impact of the laserphaco probe cannot be overstated. 42 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:20,440 Before this invention, cataract surgery was a more invasive and less effective procedure. 43 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:26,760 Dr. Bath's invention improved precision, safety, and outcomes for millions of patients 44 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:28,480 worldwide. 45 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,240 Her work extended beyond just innovation. 46 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:40,500 She was a passionate advocate for the eradication of preventable blindness, founding the American 47 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:48,240 Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in 1976 along with Dr. Alfred Cannon and Dr. 48 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,000 Aaron Ifekwunigwe 49 00:04:52,000 --> 00:05:02,160 So Dr. Bath's legacy is not just in her inventions but also in her pursuit of equality and healthcare 50 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:08,960 once again and she fought against the racial and gender barriers that existed in the medical 51 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:14,800 field paving the way for future generations of women and minorities in medicine. 52 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:20,560 Now I'm just so passionate about this because I do feel like there needs to be more women 53 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:27,600 who are doctors or not just necessarily nurses and preferably more women of color. 54 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:34,080 Her work has been recognized globally and she has received numerous awards and honors 55 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:41,280 including being inducted to the National Adventures Hall of Fame in 2022. 56 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:49,080 Now just a side note, as someone who is passionate about health, equity, and equality, I believe 57 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,520 that there's still work that needs to be done and if you're inspired by Dr. Bath, I 58 00:05:54,520 --> 00:06:03,320 will love for you to like, yeah, follow her example, join an organization that is also 59 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:09,640 on this pursuit of health equity and health equality because with COVID-19 it has revealed 60 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:18,080 that there has been so much inequality and so much inequities. 61 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:27,800 So Dr. Patricia Bath passed away in May 30th 2019 but her legacy still is on through the 62 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,640 countless lives she's touched and the innovations she introduced. 63 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,960 Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and a commitment to 64 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,840 making the world a better place. 65 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:46,160 So I just want to thank you once again for joining me on this journey through the life 66 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,200 and legacy of Dr. Patricia Bath. 67 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:56,480 She truly was a boss lady in health care, breaking barriers and changing lives. 68 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:03,080 So stay tuned for the next episode where I'll continue to explore these types of stories. 69 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:07,760 These stories have truly shaped the future of medicine. 70 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,840 And if you haven't already, listen to the other recordings where I've talked about 71 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:22,320 Dasia Taylor that was the first episode and until then I'm Odette and this is Queen Citizens. 72 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:27,680 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and yeah, follow me on social media for more 73 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:29,200 inspiring stories. 74 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:34,320 So I will hopefully have you tuning in next time. 75 00:07:34,320 --> 00:08:01,920 Bye!