The Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine is committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment, to the benefit of our patients, trainees, faculty, staff, and employees. It is our goal that our division become more reflective of the patient population we serve, acknowledging the importance of this in regard to understanding differing cultural and linguistic values, as well as establishing trust with our patients. Not only is diversity and inclusion important in our learning and work environments, but it is also important in the design and conduct of clinical research. For this reason, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has challenged all to be more aware of and consider the impact of differing socioeconomic factors on the development of disease(s) and clinical outcomes in our research. There is an institutional emphasis on equitable representation among those from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine (URiM). We recognize equity in recruitment, retention, and promotion which is paramount for the advancement of the field of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. This is achieved by championing system-wide efforts to identify barriers experienced by URiM individuals and addressing the inequities that may hinder their advancement.
One way this is done is by bridging the research and scholarship gap by providing targeted funding opportunities for pilot studies, as well as community, and nationally funded grants. Additionally, early career faculty are encouraged to participate in career development programs to include mentorship and grant writing workshops to aid in career advancement. Another important goal of the division is in cultivating a mentorship network of both personal and professional mentors for those URiM as this has been shown to increase scholarly productivity and career satisfaction. Lastly, our Department of Medicine has supported URiM faculty by creating leadership opportunities, for example our very own Francesca Duncan, MD, serves as Co-Chair of Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine.
