Jackie Dougé brings passion and focus to all aspects of her life. As a young girl, she envisioned herself becoming a pediatrician and worked hard to make that dream come true. She is extremely creative and channels that creativity through content creation, program development creation, and finding new ways to bring healthcare to children and families in Frederick County.

One of the topics discussed in the episode is the exploding mental health needs of kids and teens. Jackie provides insights into why this is happening and what can be done to help mitigate the impact. She also touches on the topic of providing allyship for her patients. She has a strong passion for bringing equitable access to everyone in the community. She shares the importance of advocating for equity and equitable access to resources in order to create the best start for kids and families. Striving for equality is not enough, as equal access to resources does not necessarily lead to equal outcomes. Jackie highlights the importance of leaders listening, learning, speaking up, and providing buffer protection to help soften the impact.

About Jackie Douge: 

Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP is an accomplished pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, and a respected speaker and writer. Her past roles include Deputy Health Officer at the Frederick County Health Department and Bureau Director and Medical Director of Maternal Child Health at the Howard County Health Department. Dr. Dougé holds a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Medical Degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Rutgers University. She has been featured in several media outlets, and is the founder of What is Black, LLC, a production company focused on stories that celebrate Black families. Dr. Dougé has co-authored the AAP Policy Statement on the Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health, and the middle grade novel Learning to Love All of Me, in addition to being an in-demand speaker on racism and children's health. She has served in several volunteer and leadership roles, including Chair of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee to Achieve Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Past President of the Maryland Public Health Association.

Website: https://www.whatisblack.co/

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/WhatisBlk/ 

https://twitter.com/whatisblk

https://www.instagram.com/whatisblk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-douge-md-mph-faap-12b85624/

Free Resource:

6 Tips For Talking About Race with Kids

1. Sign up for What is Black's Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/whatisblack/newsletter
2. Freebie will be emailed 
3. Only available for 30 days after the podcast episode airs

Episode Timestamps:

• Jackie’s journey to where she is today {01:24}
• The rising mental health crisis in teens {07:25}
• Jackie’s leadership role {11:25}
• Advocating for equity {15:08}
• Some of the biggest needs for black families in Frederick County {19:34}
• The What Is Black podcast {23:00}

“Knowing that even though I may be talking to a family, it's really a partnership. So this idea now of being a leader is not necessarily me being above someone else, but really understanding that I'm there to serve and partner and ally with families and also use my platform to speak up and raise issues that my patients or families may not be able to. Or maybe help provide that allyship in that I believe what my patients are saying, how they identify, how they're showing up their experiences.”

Connect with Rachel Harrison:

https://traumaspecialistsofmd.com/

https://www.frederickchamber.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma_specialist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064008974101&mibextid=LQQJ4d

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-harrison-81a4796/