In response to the SNMA’s open letter, the Dean’s Office and the Department of Medical Education launched and continue to work on the following actions. Expand the sections below to view the actions that have been launched, initiated, and more. Beginning in January, we will provide new action updates on the Change Tracker.
Launched
- Faculty Laureate Program
- Center for Scientific Diversity
- Institute for Health Equity Research
- Monthly standing meeting with SNMA leadership and ISMMS leadership (Drs. Charney, Butts, Filizola, Muller)
Initiated
- Mission Statement Revision Committee
- Establishing academic and recruitment ties with HBCU’s
Upcoming
- Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion into the annual performance reviews for Chairs
- Incorporating required Diversity and Inclusion criteria into Appointments and Promotions
- Incorporating required Diversity and Inclusion section to institutional CV format
“For me working towards the goal of being an anti-racist school has been the most challenging and most rewarding work I have done over more than 30 years in academic medicine. I am inspired by the courage and perseverance of our colleagues, students and staff of color. Their willingness to sacrifice so much, and place their faith in others, like me, who have historically let them down, is an incredible demonstration of their humanity, integrity, and dignity.”
Mistreatment
- Individuals reporting mistreatment receive updates on outcomes of reports; there is an explicit zero tolerance policy for retaliation/retribution
- Subcommittees formed to address
- Incorporating students into adjudication of mistreatment reports
- Enhancing messaging and outreach on mistreatment policy and processes
Ongoing
- Revising the Med Ed Mission Statement
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Recruitment of BIPOC faculty to leadership positions in Med Ed (ongoing)
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Work with Faculty Council to recruit BIPOC faculty to major Med Ed committees (ongoing)
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Strategic Leadership Collaborative (SLC) July retreat focused on training Med Ed leadership to be anti-racist. This work is ongoing and is addressed at every weekly SLC meeting.
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SLC October retreat brought together SLC, RBI-GC, and SNMA leadership to work on SNMA action items
“The demands of working towards equity within Mount Sinai have been both extremely taxing yet overwhelmingly inspiring. Although I had not imagined being a part of implementing anti-racism initiatives as a facet of my medical school trajectory, it has significantly enhanced my experience by enriching my ability to think critically about tough issues, reinforcing my sense of purpose, and strengthening my capacity for problem solving. Some days are heavy, but I am sustained by the resilience of those who came before us, the fortitude of my colleagues, and the support that has been given to SNMA. While the road to truly achieving equity is long and sometimes tortuous, I am most proud of the collaborative spirit between leadership, faculty, staff, and students that have allowed the voices of Black students to be amplified and for our perspectives to be validated. It is SNMA’s hope that this continues to be the narrative, that we never allow this fire to be extinguished, and that Mount Sinai can position itself as a beacon of transformational change in addressing the systemic oppressions that exist within academic medicine.”