We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH, FACEP, to the role of Associate Dean for Community Engagement, Equity and Inclusion, effective July 1. Dr. Heron is a Professor of Emergency Medicine in the School of Medicine.
Dr. Heron joined the Emory University School of Medicine faculty in 1996. She received her MD at Howard University College of Medicine and completed her emergency medicine residency at King Drew Medical Center. Prior to medical school, she received her MPH at Hunter College in New York.
Dr. Heron is an editor of two textbooks addressing diversity and inclusion in quality patient care and is the recipient of numerous awards including the American College of Emergency Physician's National Faculty Teaching Award, the Woman in Medicine Award from the National Medical Association Council on The Concerns of Women Physicians, the Gender Justice Award from The Georgia Commission on Family Violence and the Outstanding Woman Award in the School of Medicine and the inaugural Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award in the SOM
Her research interests include equity and inclusion in medicine, violence prevention, and wellness and well-being for the health care profession. Her accomplishments in the area of community engagement, equity and inclusion are extensive, and include:
- Chairing the Emergency Medicine section of the National Medical Association and Founding President of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency – an Academy within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
- Serving as keynote speaker at the 2019 MLK Community Service Awards at Emory University
- Participation in the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2002 that engaged leaders in Atlanta to visit and understand the value of Grady to our community
Dr. Heron will work closely with Carolyn Meltzer, MD, who has been named the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the School of Medicine. Dr. Meltzer also serves as executive associate dean of Faculty Academic Advancement, Leadership & Inclusion and chair of the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. Both at Emory and at the national level, Dr. Meltzer has focused on promoting an inclusive climate and culture, addressing implicit and explicit bias and harassment in medicine, and developing best practices for recruitment, retention, and professional advancement of faculty, staff, and trainees.
Dr. Heron and Dr. Meltzer will drive progress toward our institutional goals by focusing on several areas, including program and policy development, awareness and education, research, and partnerships and engagement. The team will also partner with our education leaders to support diversity and inclusion efforts across our pipeline programs, prospective learners and current learners.
Both positions were named at the conclusion of a national search for leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion. Our deep commitment to continuing to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive home in which all in our SOM community can thrive is further underscored by recent tragic events of intolerance and violence in our state and our nation. This work is critically important, and we are pleased to have established a leadership team to guide our efforts. Please congratulate Dr. Heron and Dr. Meltzer on their new roles.