Guest: Cardinale Smith

Guest’s guest: Melissa Mazor

In a compelling episode, Dr. Cardi Smith, Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering and a leader in oncology and palliative care, shared her journey, from her mother’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a physician to her own rise in medicine. Driven by a legacy of resilience, she emphasized leadership as a tool for systemic change, not personal power.

As one of few palliative care physicians in executive roles, she highlighted the "minority tax", which is the burden of representing marginalized identities in leadership. Yet, her palliative care skills, like empathy and communication, helped her navigate these challenges. Dr. Smith’s leadership philosophy is rooted in servant leadership which includes elevating others, creating opportunities, and measuring success by collective progress rather than individual accolades.

After being joined by mentee Dr. Melissa Mazur, the discussion shifted to the urgent need to move beyond pilot programs in health equity, advocating for sustainable solutions like patient navigation, which has proven effective for decades but remains underfunded. To achieve this, there is an urgent need for implementation science and measurable community engagement. 

In closing, the guests emphasized that equity work cannot rely on temporary grants or goodwill. It requires embedding anti-racist practices into healthcare’s infrastructure, a challenge that demands courage from leaders and institutions alike.