Our Committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was created in 2019 to promote a learning environment in which differences are celebrated and encouraged, and all feel valued. The group is comprised of current residents and faculty members dedicated to meeting our mission in all areas of our program, whether in recruitment and resident selection, curriculum development, faculty, staff and student discourse and patient interactions.
Mission
Provide the necessary leadership to ensure that all individuals associated with the program are valued, respected and made to feel welcome.
Vision
Ensure a welcoming climate for the residents, faculty, staff and patients of the residency program and to sustain a culture that recognizes diversity and inclusion as an essential element to the growth and success of the program and the university.
Goals
- Ensure a process that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in areas of recruitment, teaching, curriculum development and patient care.
- Promote a culture of openness, nondiscrimination, anti-racism and inclusion within the residency program.
- Provide ongoing recommendations to the Residency’s Program Evaluation Committee that leads to sustainable transformation. This will ensure a fair and equitable resident and faculty recruitment, retention and development process that embraces the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Foster a program, which allows underrepresented minorities in medicine an opportunity to further their medical training and career as residents and faculty.
- Align residency diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and anti-racism efforts with larger medical center and College of Medicine activities
Values
- Diversity – The acceptance and respect along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, age, and physical or mental abilities.
- Equity – The recognition that we must address systemic biases and barriers to allow everyone the opportunity to reach their full potential.
- Inclusion – Respect and appreciation of people regardless of their background and promoting an environment that encourages full participation of all groups.
- Accountability – Continuous assessment and evaluation to ensure progress is being made to the program’s commitment towards diversity and inclusion.
Our People
Our department is fortunate to have many luminaries for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as anti-racism efforts, on our team.
- Our Department chair, J. Nwando Olayiwola, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is a national thought leader on DEI initiatives and was a key architect of the of the Wexner Medical Center’s Anti-Racism Action Plan and serves as the co-chair of its Oversight Committee.
- Faculty member Leon McDougle, MD, MPH serves as the Wexner Medical Center’s Chief Diversity Officer and is the current president-elect of the National Medical Association.
- The Department of Family and Community Medicine also has a dedicated Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—Bethany Panchal, MD.
- Our Department also has a Vice Chair for Community Health, Mark Rastetter, MD, who oversees residency, faculty, department and medical center related community engagement initiatives.
We have numerous other Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism ambassadors in our Department, with strong experience in patient and community advocacy and social justice.
Our Work
The Department of Family and Community Medicine provides many services that align with our DEI mission, including:
- Transgender Primary Care Clinic
- Refugee and Immigration Health Clinic
- Residency Health Equity Curriculum and Health Equity Leadership Concentration
- Programs to address food insecurity, such as the Mid-Ohio Farmacy Program
- Community Care Coach
- Free community clinics
- And more!