Restorative Justice Practices as a Bridge to a Space of Healing and Sharing

By Jack Drummond

By Jack Drummond (Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity)

In the ever-changing and emotionally charged field of healthcare, it is becoming more and more evident that restorative practices are crucial, especially during times of profound healing and recovery. The Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity fully embraces this idea and strives to create a community that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable. We, as a community, agreed to the core values of respect, cultural humility, empathy and equity in Action for Cultural Transformation (ACT), we find ourselves leaning into those values, now more than ever.  To achieve the goal of ensuring…

Racism-Conscious Policymaking as an Alternative to Race-Based Policymaking

By Hoag Levins

An LDI Seminar Unpacks the Nuances of Racialized Health Care Policy and Practice

Women in Medicine: Raina Merchant on Unique Ways to Transform Health Care

By Jack Drummond

Penn Medicine’s Chief Transformation Officer Raina Merchant, MD, MSHP, is at the helm of innovation efforts at Penn to make health care easier—utilizing technology to reduce administrative burdens and free employees to do more meaningful work. In her role, Merchant coordinates multiple projects from teams across Penn Medicine, from Information Services to Operations to the office of the Chief Medical Officer, and more.

“Penn is really focused on thinking about efficiency for health care workers across every spectrum, from clinicians to frontline staff to those who work behind the scenes,” said Merchant, who is also an associate vice president…

Introducing West Philadelphia High School Students to Careers in Neurosurgery

By Jack Drummond

By Jonathan Waller

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 4.2% of neurosurgeons are Black, with an even smaller representation of Black women at 0.6% from a 2018 survey. But initiatives across the country aim to increase diversity in neurosurgery and other medical fields.

At Penn, for example, the Netter Center for Community Partnerships partnered with Penn Medicine to develop the Educational Pipeline Program to encourage high school students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to aspire to medical science careers.

The program works closely with the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Masters of Public Health Program, the…

Penn Medicine Pride: LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Equity in Health Care

By Jack Drummond

By Jonathan Waller

During this summer’s Philadelphia LGBTQ+ Pride March, staff from across Penn Medicine, along with their friends, families, and neighbors participated to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. By marching, they also helped to reaffirm Penn’s commitment to health equity, representation, and support for queer individuals who are employed by or receive care across the health system.

“Penn is a leading health care provider in the city of Philadelphia, so a lot of other entities look to us to lead the way,” shared Jenna Mechalas, MSN, RN, a Heart and Vascular Care nurse at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and chair…

LDI: Sandy Schwartz Memorial Grand Rounds Eyes Clinical Impact of AI

By Hoag Levins

2023 Event Underscores Lack of Algorithmic Equity and Relevant FDA Regulations

Celebrating Juneteenth and Taking Stock in the Deeper Message

By Jack Drummond

Eve J. Higginbotham SM, MD, ML

Vice Dean, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

Perelman School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

Caption: This poster was sent to me by a friend who is a member of the AKA Sorority; I believe it captures the essence of today’s celebration.

As we celebrate Juneteenth it is important to recognize not only the significance of this day but be reminded about the work that still remains ahead of us.  It is notable that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed two years before the slaves in Texas became aware.  It has always been a struggle…

Juneteenth Wellness Summit

By Roy Hoshi Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA,

***UPDATE: Due to weather this event will be next Friday, June 30th from 12:30pm-3pm at Saunders Park. Note the slight change in the start time. All other details regarding the event remain the same ***

Commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, Juneteenth (June19th) is an important time for celebration, reflection, community-building, and engagement. Friday June 23rd from 1-3pm, please join us at the Penn Medicine/Wharton Wellness Summit: Community Health and Financial Literacy Celebration in of honor of Juneteenth 2023. This first ever event is being coordinated by Penn Neurology’s Inclusion Diversity Anti-Racism and Equity (IDARE) Program in partnership…

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Dr.

By Corrinne Fahl

As we continue our celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we take pride in the healthcare trailblazers who call Penn Medicine home.

Beginning in January of this year, Penn Medicine was happy to appoint Zarina Ali, MD, MS, FAANS, as chief of neurosurgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The first female neurosurgeon at Pennsylvania Hospital, Dr. Ali began her career with the University of Pennsylvania Health System as a neurosurgery resident with subspecialty training in peripheral nerve surgery.

Ali is also an assistant professor of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, senior fellow of…

Class of 2023 President’s Engagement, Innovation Prize winners announced - Two PSOM mentees honored

By Ron Ozio

Awarded annually, the Prizes empower Penn students to design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world. Each Prize-winning project will receive $100,000, as well as a $50,000 living stipend per team member. The Prizes are the largest of their kind in higher education. All Prize recipients collaborate with a Penn faculty mentor

• Seungwon (Lucy) Lee for Communities for Childbirth: Lee, a neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences from Seoul, is CEO and co-founder of Communities for Childbirth, an international organization that empowers maternal and child health in Jinja, Uganda. With the…

Women’s History Month: Honoring the Trailblazers

By Kya Hertz, CDE®

 As we celebrate Women's History Month, it is important to recognize and honor the accomplishments of women who broke down barriers and shattered stereotypes in their respective fields. Women's History Month is a time to reflect on the countless contributions that women have made to society and today, I would like to honor Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte.

Susan LaFlesche Picotte was a pioneering figure in American medical history, and the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree. Born in 1865 on the Omaha Reservation in Nebraska, she grew up in a family of traditional healers who blended their…

Celebrating Women’s History Month: Dr. Ann Preston

By Corrinne Fahl

Ann Preston MD (1813-1872)

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is the appropriate time to celebrate the women in medicine who have come before us.  In the last century since the Flexner Report, the proportion of women in leadership positions still has a long journey ahead.  A 2018 AAMC report notes that  in 2018, women account for 16% of deans, 18% of department chairs, and 25% of full professors.  Here at the Perelman School of Medicine, we are ahead of these benchmarks with women representing 33% of our department chairs and xx % of full professors, as of 2022. …

Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Charles R. Drew (1904-1950)

By Kya Hertz, CDP

Dr. Charles R. Drew was a pioneering physician and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and science, especially around blood transfusion and storage. His work has saved countless lives and helped to lay the foundation for the modern blood banking industry.

Born in Washington D.C., Drew was the oldest of five children and showed an early aptitude for science and medicine. After completing his undergraduate education at Amherst College in Massachusetts, he went on to earn a degree in medicine from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Drew's groundbreaking research into blood transfusion and storage began…

OIDE Black History Month Event focusing on Restorative Practices

By Jack Drummond, Director of Restorative Practices

The Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (OIDE) encourages you to recognize and celebrate the contributions made by African Americans during Black History Month. Notable contributions in fields such as medicine, law, science, technology, and art have greatly shaped our world and continue to shape the future.

As we honor these contributions, let us also recognize there is still progress to be made, by encouraging open discussions about race, mitigating biases, and promoting acceptance and understanding of all people and perspectives, with a focus on healing.

The Action for Cultural Transformation (ACT) strategic initiative continues to focus on eliminating structural…