J Natl Med Assoc
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Leadership roles and initiatives for diversity and inclusion in academic anesthesiology departments.
A cultural change in medicine has placed a renewed focus on the importance of a diverse and inclusive healthcare workforce. The methods employed by anesthesiology departments in pursuit of diversity and inclusion needs to be examined.
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Orthopaedic surgery is the least diverse surgical subspecialty in medicine. However, to date, there is no literature that shows which medical schools have successfully contributed to improving orthopaedic surgeon diversity. ⋯ There are both historically black and non-historically black medical schools which have a proven track record of producing a significant number of future black orthopaedic surgery residents.
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In response to a rapid rise in mortality within assisted living, facility-wide resident testing found 42% of 182 residents had SARS-CoV-2 infection; 68% of which were asymptomatic for 14 days before and after testing. Resident testing was a critical infection control measure needed to control transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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The year 2020 opened the eyes of many to the structures of racism that persist in our country. As the visceral urgency of those galvanizing moments fade, organizations must move beyond releasing supportive statements and determining how they can live up to their stated values. To truly support Black lives, academic medical centers (AMCs) must commit to critically examine and improve the manner in which daily practices, culture, and context uplift Black students, health care professionals, and patients to achieve health equity. ⋯ Additionally, AMCss should teach about structural racism as a social determinant of health to raise awareness of a common cause of health disparities and understand why patients of color may distrust the medical system. Furthermore, academic centers should work with local leaders to assess needs and provide community benefits and advocate for policies that meet those needs. While there are some challenges in starting these conversations in our institutions, changing the status quo is necessary to achieve health equity for all.