Brought to you by: Mayo Clinic Talks Podcast

HOST: Nicole Nfonoyim-Hara

GUESTS: Catherine W. Njathi-Ori, M.D. and Natalie H. Strand, M.D.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, what's your pain?” If you’ve just broken a bone or are seeking treatment for endomitosis, it’s likely the first question you’ll be asked. But what if your pain is dismissed or minimized due to your age, race, or gender? In this episode of the RISE for Equity podcast, host Nicole Nfonoyim-Hara unpacks the latest evidence around bias in pain management—and effective strategies for a holistic approach to care—with Mayo Clinic physicians Catherine Njathi-Ori and Natalie Strand.

Catherine W. Njathi-Ori, M.D., is an anesthesiologist specializing in acute pain management based in Rochester, Minnesota.

Natalie H. Strand, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine. She serves as the Director of Pain Research and the Director of Neuromodulation for Mayo Clinic Arizona.

“We need to be humble as providers, because there definitely will be cultural influences on how patients are going to respond to how they're feeling…. While we have the visual and the numeric skills, we have to acknowledge that pain is more complex.” — Catherine Njathi-Ori, M.D.

“People I think are well-meaning in medicine for the most part. I really believe that. But just because you're well-meaning doesn't mean you're not biased. People often can't see their own blind spots. When you don't have diversity in your division or department, or you don't have diversity on your admissions committees, or you don't have diversity in your surgical teams and anesthesia teams, how is anybody supposed to see their own blind spots?” —Nathalie H. Strand, M.D.