Current Projects

Recruitment and Inclusion

URM Health Professional survey: Creation of a questionnaire for hospital URM employees designed to identify both existing diversity and gaps in inclusion in the hospital workforce.

Mentorship and Retention

HSA Academy Resident Lectures: Partnership with Arthur Ashe to provide approved lectures in our specialties to inner-city HS students interested in science-centered careers
Diversity and Inclusion Mentorship Program:
Mentorship program to match residents, medical students and faculty based on social identity and topics surrounding diversity and inclusion in medicine.

Community Engagement

VotER - Task force to promote voter registration amongst patients while they are waiting in the ED/clinics or admitted inpatient at both KCHC and Downstate.
Food Boxes: Given to patients in the ED and CPEP at KCHC who are identified as having a meal gap.

Education & Advocacy

Panel Talks: Periodic panel discussions on DEI topics involving panelists of all levels (student, resident, faculty) as well as breakout rooms with vignettes. So far: AAPI Race Talks 5/27/21 for AAPI Month, LGBTQIA+ Panel Talks 6/23/21 for Pride Month
Social EM Mini-Fellowship: Asynchronous curriculum for interested EM residents focused on sustaining a culture of social justice, community engagement and advocacy in residency.
Social EM lecture series: The EM residency leadership has officially incorporated a Social Emergency Medicine lecture series as part of the core EM conference curriculum for residents.
Advocacy for Patients Under Police Custody: A group of residents and medical students are disseminating a survey to residents throughout the country on the role of policing in the ER.
5) Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Clinical Staff. Project Leader: Dr.Melanie Cheng (graduating fellow in Academic General Pediatrics with a concurrent GME leadership fellowship) and Dr. Ramon Gist.

Research

Development of a central database regarding URM, health disparity and social justice research being conducted or completed at SUNY Downstate. Project leader: Dr. Stanley Fisher
Survey to identify food and housing insecurity in ED patients. Project leaders: Dr. Stefanie Gopaul (EM PGY3) and Dr. Christianna Sim (EM/IM PGY3).
Literature review - Carotid Chokeholds, Blood Chokes, Vascular Hold, Triangle Choke: The Medical Case against Police Use of Neck Restraints. Project leaders: Dr. Desai (EM PGY4) and Dr. Madden (EM PGY3)
Radiology research study regarding racial disparities in radiology reading - Dr. Waite