The position of associate dean for inclusion and equity was recently created to help advance the mission of the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. The role involves working with the deans and clinical department leadership to integrate equity and inclusivity into clinical practice, academic programs, research and community health.

In addition, a position of vice president of community engagement and chief diversity officer has been created at UF Health Jacksonville. This individual and the associate dean for inclusion and equity will work with the hospital’s Diversity Council leadership to bridge opportunities between the hospital and the colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.

The College of Medicine – Jacksonville embraces the Association of American Medical Colleges’ definition of diversity, including the recognition that diversity is not limited to gender, race and ethnicity, but must also include age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious commitment and physical ability, as well as other varied backgrounds and life experiences.

We recognize diversity and inclusion as important drivers to achieving our vision to be the region’s most valued health care asset. Inclusion and equity are essential to improving access to quality care, reducing health disparities and improving the health of communities in our area.

DATA ON DIVERSITY

According to the American Medical Student Association, racial and ethnic minorities make up 26% of the United States’ total population, yet only 6% of practicing physicians are Latino, African American or Native American.

Evidence supports that racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity among health care providers correlates with improved access and quality of care for minority populations. Also, underrepresented minority patients’ compliance with medical recommendations is higher when doctors look like them. When the treating physician is the same race as the patient, visits are 2.2 minutes longer, on average, and patient satisfaction is higher.

Among our college’s 399 faculty members in fall 2018, the racial and ethnic breakdown was:

• 9.27% African American
• 18.3% Asian
• 8.27% Hispanic/Latino
• 56.89% white

The gender breakdown for the group was 57.39% male and 42.61% female.

The percentage of minority female faculty members increased from 34% in 2008 to 42.6% in 2018. Among female faculty members in fall 2018, the racial and ethnic distribution was:

• 13.57% African Americans
• 7.65% Hispanic/Latino
• 20% Asian

The following chart illustrates the racial and ethnic breakdown among the college’s faculty.

IMPACT ON EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 

Continuous recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority faculty are essential to meet the needs of the diverse patient population we serve. In addition, it is imperative to offer the underrepresented medical students rotating on our campus the opportunity to learn and be mentored by our underrepresented faculty. Efforts to initiate such a mentoring program are underway. To date, we have more than 30 faculty who have volunteered to assist.

Efforts will be made to foster an educational environment for our students, residents, fellows, faculty and staff that intrinsically values diversity, inclusion and equity. Aspects include self-awareness, conscious and unconscious bias, bidirectional learning and leadership, as well as the ability to engage patients, communities and others with the utmost respect and humility.

Leaders are developing a strategic plan to introduce implicit bias and crucial-conversation training. This type of training is essential to foster teamwork, build acceptance and create alignment to achieve our mission by having open dialogue about critical, high-stakes matters.

In the research arena, diversity and inclusion support higher-quality research by recruiting and retaining top talent and increasing the likelihood that research outcomes will benefit people from populations that are underserved or face health disparities. Diversity, inclusion and health equity are essential components of the future urban health initiatives on our campus.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

We need to take an institution-wide approach to community engagement, where we collaborate with members of our communities as partners, not just as patients in need of care. Community members can help us to deepen faculty and trainees’ knowledge of social determinants of health and broaden the potential impact research discoveries can have on population health. The college, with its diverse and talented faculty and trainees, is positioned to be the region’s most valued health care asset.

Of note, Antonio Farias, chief diversity officer at UF, created a Campus Diversity Liaisons Committee for which each college, including ours, has identified a diversity liaison. This team of teams is giving the opportunity for different colleges and business units to share resources and work together on many challenging tasks across the university to promote diversity, inclusion and equity.