Vision: To prioritize initiatives focused on advancing cultural competency, with cultural humility, to foster our ability to care for our patients and each other.
Mission: To create an environment where faculty, staff, students and patients feel like they belong, by prioritizing programs that integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into medical education, clinical care, research and community engagement.
Sabrena Noria, MD, PhD, serves as vice chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the department, expands on our mission statement:
“Fundamentally, diversity is what makes us unique, and it’s incumbent on all of us to understand, respect and value those differences. On the other hand, equity reflects the value we place on diversity because it’s about creating fair opportunities, access and advancement based on a person’s uniqueness. Finally, inclusion is more subjective in nature — it’s the extent to which a person really feels like they are valued because of their uniqueness.
“Verna Myers put it well when she said, ‘Diversity is being asked to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance.’ However, I would add that equity is being asked to be on the prom committee.
“Ultimately, it’s at the intersection of diversity, equity and inclusion that we find belonging — the goal of any DEI-focused effort — because when a person feels connected, they are able to reach their full potential, which for us, in the Department of Surgery, is to provide the best care for patients in our community.”
Ways to Give
Our team values ensuring everyone has a chance to practice life-changing medicine in the Department of Surgery. Please consider making a gift to educate the next generation of medical students and postgraduate trainees.