A task force formed to address the myriad needs surrounding diversity and inclusion at the Academy is making progress in its first year.
The Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion is charged by the AAP Board of Directors with developing a framework, rationale, goals and plan for diversity and inclusion activities within the Academy. It will make recommendations on surveillance and tracking members; priority outreach and inclusion activities in the AAP leadership pipeline; and a set of priority integration and diversity initiatives with AAP medical education, leadership education, membership and workforce.
Diversity issues being discussed include (but are not limited to) age, gender, ethnicity, race, disability, sexual orientation and national origin.
The task force is collecting diversity-related data from the Annual Leadership Forum and committee, council, section and chapter leadership. In addition, the group is studying best practices and opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion, and planning ways to monitor and report diversity data and progress to the membership.
Preliminary recommendations will be presented to the Board of Directors in January, with a final report to the board in May.
The group is co-chaired by Danielle Laraque-Arena, M.D., FAAP, and DeWayne Pursley, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP. Members include Shaquita Bell, M.D., FAAP; Carol Berkowitz, M.D., FAAP; Marilyn Bull, M.D., FAAP; Uriel Castaneda, M.D., resident member; Tina Cheng, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP; Jacqueline Douge, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP; Mahi Ekambaram, M.B.B.S., FAAP; Lanre Falusi, M.D., FAAP; Elena Fuentes-Afflick, M.D., FAAP; Christopher Harris, M.D., FAAP; Nate Jones, M.D., resident member; and Bonnie Maldonado, M.D., FAAP.
To share thoughts and suggestions with the task force, contact Erin Kelly at [email protected].
