Creation of a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative to address systemic racism

ABSTRACT

Background: Catalyzed by the horrific death of George Floyd, a Black man, significant concrete efforts to engage workplaces in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has gained prominence and administrative backing among workplaces in the United States. A diverse academic geriatrics & palliative medicine department in New York City began meeting weekly in Town Hall sessions to debrief & discuss workplace, local, & national concerns. Discussions focused on COVID19, the Black Lives Matter movement, structural racism, & patient care inequities. These events ignited greater DEI initiatives to meet departmental needs. This report serves to highlight key program components & lessons learned in launching a structured DEI initiative in the academic medicine setting. Methods: First, a new DEI core & department administration met 2-4 times/month to plan & review DEI program activities, vision, & mission. Confidential roundtable discussions about DEI issues & 11 interviews were conducted to assess needs. A monthly Humanities, Arts, & Books (HAB) Initiative provided a safe space for discussion & l earning. The HAB platform supported a longitudinal curriculum emphasizing (1) group discussion & self-reflection on DEI topics, (2) knowledge dissemination including a “Learning Pathway” series, & (3) skill-based workshops. With each event, we collected anonymous feedback via survey. Comments were systematically recorded & engagement evaluation was conducted in order to iteratively shape future sessions. Departmental administration was engaged to track DEI-focused measures of recruitment, career advancement, & retention. Finally, we centralized DEI activities on a departmental website, including an anonymous online feedback box. Results: Quantitative & qualitative assessment of DEI initiatives are forthcoming. Metrics include DEI & professional development surveys, departmental demographic & diversity measures, increase in DEI-related projects and grants, & individual participation DEI programs. Conclusions: Creating a strong and sustainable DEI initiative within an academic medical setting requires a passionate and diverse core to centralize efforts, deliberate backing by administration, & thoughtful dissemination of sensitive content in the midst of a highly charged social justice landscape.