Educational Conference | Vanessa McCarthy, MD & DeJuan White, MD | Recognizing and Responding to Episodes of Bias

E. Vanessa Spearman-McCarthy, M.D.
Associate Dean for Belonging and Inclusivity
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
Consultation Liaison Psychiatry & General Internal Medicine
Second Vice President, MCG Alumni Association
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Dr. Erin Vanessa Spearman-McCarthy is a Professor at Augusta University who holds dual appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and Internal Medicine. A native of Augusta, Georgia, she was educated in the Richmond County Public School System, graduating with honors from John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. Upon completion of her secondary education, she attended Spelman College (Atlanta, GA), where she earned a B.S. in Biology with Latin and College-wide Honors. Dr. Spearman-McCarthy then attended medical school at Augusta University (Augusta, GA). Upon completion of medical school, she trained in the Combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Charleston, SC), where she served as Chief Resident during her last year of training. In 2010, she was named MUSC Department of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine Outpatient Resident of the Year and the MUSC Reynolds Aging Q3 Project Resident of the Year. Dr. Spearman-McCarthy ‘s areas of interest and clinical expertise are that of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Outpatient Internal Medicine, and Medical Student Education. Her research interests include the effects of depression on diabetes and hypertension management as well as the effects of undiagnosed anxiety and depression on the academic performance of medical and other health professional students. When not involved in patient care, Dr. Spearman-McCarthy enjoys spending time with family, mentoring, volunteering at her church, creative writing, public speaking, and performing music with local concert bands and choirs.

DeJuan White, M.D.
Associate Program Director, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. DeJuan White is a physician who has maintained board certifications in general psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and internal medicine. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine where he is also the department’s Residency Site Educational Director for Grady Memorial Hospital. He serves as the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Services at Grady Memorial Hospital where he also treats patients with behavioral health crises in the emergency setting. He also continues to practice as a primary care physician at Grady’s Behavioral Health Clinic treating the chronic medical conditions of underserved patients with severe mental illness. Within the department, Dr. White is the co-chair of the Racial, Ethnic, Cultural Minority Faculty Committee, an appointment he considers to be a highlight of his career thus far. He also serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, Faculty Development Funds Committee, and one of the founding members of Caring Communities, an interdisciplinary group of mental health providers mobilized in the face of COVID-19 to provide communities with support, guidance, and care through support groups, de-briefings, wellness guides, and education. He is also Adjunct Faculty at Morehouse School of Medicine. Given his great value to the community, he was governor appointed to the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission to evaluate and provide recommendations to improve Georgia’s mental health system.