Looking beyond people's belief systems to see their humanity is one of the takeaways from Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings shared by the keynote speaker at Valparaiso University's annual Martin Luther King Day celebration on Monday.
Dr. Abdullah Hasan Pratt is a 2011 Valparaiso University graduate, who's now an assistant professor and emergency medicine physician at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "I deliver babies. I'm there with people when they find out great news, but then, also, at those last moments, I'm there as well," Dr. Pratt said.
After growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Dr. Pratt opted to remain in the community. He helped push for the establishment of a Level 1 trauma center at the University of Chicago, after losing his brother and eight of his friends to gun violence in quick succession.
"The truth is I always follow where the need is, so if problems are the worst in one community, I go there," Dr. Pratt said.
But he noted that resources don't always go where they're needed most, and if those inequities aren't addressed, gaps will grow. As an example, he pointed out that grant applications are often more successful if an organization has already gotten grants in the past.
Now, Dr. Pratt sees patients both in Chicago and Crown Point, where he sees some common challenges. Specifically, he stressed the importance of taking the time to listen to patients and understand their history, something that doesn't always happen.
"Many times, if I would've just assumed what's happening with someone walking in, I'd be wrong, and that person could die based on that mistake," Dr. Pratt noted.
He added that not understanding the social determinants of health often ends up being the biggest cost to the health care system. "It doesn't make sense to give someone a treatment plan if that plan doesn't feasibly actually work," Dr. Pratt explained, giving an example of the challenges that may occur accessing a pharmacy. "'You go get these meds from this pharmacy.' 'Well, Dr. Pratt, you didn't know that I have to cross six communities, six gang territories, to get to that community.' 'Well, I didn't know that.' 'Well, you never asked.'"
Dr. Pratt said his education at Valparaiso University has helped him look for "shades of gray," rather than seeing issues as black and white — something he wanted current students to keep in mind, as it related to Monday's presidential inauguration. "Regardless of which side of the aisle that you sit on, whether you're happy that Trump got elected, whether you're a little bit disappointed, you have to remember, look at those shades of gray that create commonalities with each other," Dr. Pratt told students.
During Monday's event, Dr. Pratt was recognized with the university's 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Drum Major Impact Award.
