Mission
In alignment with our Department’s mission and vision to be the preeminent Academic Emergency Medicine Department in the country, the Emory Emergency Medicine’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC) believes in equitable treatment for all members of our community. Equity or a state of being just, impartial and fair while recognizing that the needs of each individual may differ, and with a desire to modify resources to help our members advance, will create the environment that will lead us to eminence. We push for equity by advancing ALL of our people including faculty, staff, advanced practice providers (APPs), residents & fellows.
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core principles of our department. Our allyships with people who are underrepresented in medicine are quintessential drivers for us to achieve eminence. Inclusion brings us closer to equity and enables us to institute change and maintain support where needed in our community
Emory Emergency Medicine’s EDIC recognizes that systemic racism is a global issue and we denounce the persistence of racial disparities in healthcare and in our society. As part of an academic institution, we strive to build a culture of health and wellness that empowers populations that have been vulnerable and oppressed. We will continue to educate ourselves to assist in abolishing the devastating effects on communities of color. We aim to communicate an expectation of all faculty, residents, APP’s and staff to be held accountable for cultivating an anti-racist and inclusive environment.
Emory Emergency Medicine is nationally recognized as an inspiring, motivating, high quality and caring community focused on delivering outstanding care to patients from many backgrounds. We understand that being a diverse group encompassing age, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, need for accommodations, religion, and race/ethnicity is vital to providing excellent patient care, offering family support and fostering community. We are committed to extending our priority of diversity to outreach in the community, continued education of our learners, and support for our faculty, staff, APPs, residents and fellows.
Goals
- To foster a supportive environment for the successful retention, advancement, and promotion of those identifying as underrepresented in medicine (URiM)
- To be actively engaged in the recruitment of URiM faculty, staff, APP’s, residents and fellows
- To engage and support Community Outreach programs that uplift underrepresented, disenfranchised, or culturally sensitive groups
- To create and facilitate the education of all within the department on matters related to equity, diversity, inclusion, antiracism and social justice
- To encourage and engage in innovation and scholarly activity related to the above, including publications, presentations, and grant submissions on the local, regional, national and international levels
- To advance the department’s leadership and involvement in local, regional, national and international organizations that have a vision and mission towards justice, equity, diversity and inclusion
Awards
- Dr. Anika Backster served on the SAEM ADIEM executive board from 2018-2022
- Dr. Katrina Gipson is the President of SAEM ADIEM for May 2024-25
- Dr. Sheryl Heron was awarded the inaugural "Wes Curry" Executive Leadership Award in Diversity and Inclusion during the 6th Annual Executive Diversity Summit at ACEP sponsored by Vituity. She was awarded the Inaugural Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award – Emory University School of Medicine – 2018. Dr. Heron was past and inaugural president for SAEM ADIEM. Dr. Heron's book, Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care - 2nd edition – Your Story/Our Story, was endorsed by Tony Award-winning Director and Producer Kenny Leon, our 17th Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona and Immediate Past President of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine, and Past President of the African Federation of Emergency Medicine, Lee Wallis
- Dr. Michelle Lall has served on the board of directors for SAEM for a number of years; past President of AWAEM, appointed member to the ACEP Wellness Committee, is part of the Emory Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science; School of Medicine Recognition Committee; Diversity Council; and the Office of Faculty Academic Advancement, Leadership, and Inclusion; Women’s History Month Recognition, 2021
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Department Awards: In May 2023, the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine awarded the Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine the Outstanding Department Award for Excellence and Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In 2021, Emergency Medicine received the inaugural Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Diversity and Inclusion Award. In 2016, EM was the AWAEM Department of the Year
