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Biography

My name is Dr. Daytheon Sturges and I serve as the Department of Family Medicine's Vice Chair for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), as well as Associate Program Director for Regional Affairs and JEDI in the MEDEX section. I was raised in the piney hills of Haynesville, Louisiana. I received my BS in biology from Louisiana Tech University, BS in Physician Assistant (PA) and Master of PA Studies from LSU Health – Shreveport, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in health studies (community health promotion and health education) with a focal area in higher education from Texas Woman’s University, where I also completed a post-master’s certificate in health informatics. I have practiced in several medical disciplines including primary care, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, and rheumatology. However, my passion lies in providing care to the whole family. Beside my PA certification, I also hold a certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®). I am active in the PA Education Association, where I serve as the chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Mission Advancement Commission, as a Faculty Jumpstart Workshop facilitator, and immediate past JEDI feature editor and current Editorial Advisory Board Member for the Journal of PA Education.

I am excited to be a part of the MEDEX team and the Department of Family Medicine as an assistant professor, vice chair, associate program director, JEDI committee co-chair, and faculty senator. I am honored to contribute to such a dynamic department

My academic and research interests include the intersection of medicine and social justice, burnout in underrepresented minority medical faculty, the influence of John Henryism and Sojourner Syndrome constructs on stress, coping, and health outcomes in Black Americans, health promotion and education, serving historically-excluded populations, and the role of social determinants of health in clinical decision-making. Outside of work, I am active in the community most notably through my fraternal organization, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I view medicine as a ministry and consider it an intrinsic duty to promote and deliver high-quality healthcare.

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” – Dr. Maya Angelou