Jayne Raven Rice, MD, is a fourth-year vascular surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania. Her academic interests include peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage and health disparities among minority communities.
Jayne Raven Rice, MD, stands out for her clinical expertise and unwavering commitment to addressing health disparities and advocating for underrepresented minorities in the medical field. As a resident at the University of Pennsylvania, she is a prominent voice in pursuing health equity, particularly in limb salvage and peripheral arterial disease.
Rice's journey began in Nashville, where she spent her formative years. Her educational path took her to Spelman College, a historically Black institution, where she graduated with a degree in Biochemistry. Reflecting on her time at Spelman, she notes its profound impact on solidifying her identity as a Black woman and building her confidence.
Rice discovered her passion for vascular surgery at Harvard Medical School while pursuing her medical education. Her main goal was to tackle health disparities and give back to the Black community, specifically in vascular surgery.
“Vascular surgery is everything I wanted to practice in. I call it the primary care of surgery,” said Rice.
Her dedication extends beyond the operating room as she mentors underrepresented minority students and trainees in medicine. Dr. Rice tackles the issue at multiple levels in her quest for equity. At the federal level, she advocates for improvements in health insurance status among patients. On a patient level, she underscores the significance of patient education and engagement, a theme that permeates her research.
Under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Genovese, Dr. Rice is involved in developing the Limb Preservation Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. This initiative aligns with her broader goal of bringing preventive medicine to vascular surgery and addressing racial inequities.
Despite her work, Rice remains critical of the limitations of designated months for celebrating diversity. She acknowledges the significance of Black History Month but points out the irony of allocating the shortest month to such a vital celebration.
“We always say that Black folks have the worst health status and are less likely to have health insurance and, overall, less wealth and lower education. But it's making sure these statements are in the context of understanding the centuries of systematic oppression that has and is intentionally happening,” said Rice. “I think it's essential to learn that history because, as we're seeing, we're on the verge of history unfortunately repeating itself.”
In 2021, Rice took pride in being an author in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) edition of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, a testament to the strides made in acknowledging and addressing diversity within the field. She actively participates in conferences, engages in conversations about DEI, and commends the Society for Vascular Surgery's commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices.
Rice, an active member and co-chair of the Society for Black Vascular Surgeons trainee section, works purposefully to expose more students to surgery and advocate for DEI. Her efforts align with the broader goal of creating a more visible and diverse leadership in vascular surgery.
Rice praises the SVS Foundation's work in elevating her peers' voices by promoting the celebratory months.
“I'm proud of the diversity of our providers and am honored to be featured in this campaign. These are the people making their way up through the pipeline of leadership, and we'll hopefully be more visible at the top one day,” she said. “It's important to display these voices on the front page, and I think through the Foundation, we've done just that."
When you donate to the SVS Foundation, you support Voices of Vascular's important work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more and make your gift today.