diversity

SWAG��ƵReceives Health Professions Higher Education Excellence In Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine

ebailey — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:26:12 +0000

SWAG��ƵReceives Health Professions Higher Education Excellence In Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine ebailey Thu, 10/03/2024 - 08:26

SWAG��ƵReceives Health Professions Higher Education Excellence In Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine

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In what has become an annual honor, VCOM’s work to build a richly diverse community has again been recognized by INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine.

In October 2024, the College was honored with the magazine’s Health Professions from Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. This is the fifth time SWAG��Ƶhas been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, and their annual Health Professions HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion

I’m very proud that the SWAG��Ƶcommunity advocates for a mindset of supporting diversity as a richness of human differences fostering a sense of belonging, respect and value for all. Educating future physicians on the importance of diversity in the health care system is crucial. More inclusivity and representation amongst healthcare professionals can ease patient anxieties, increase compliance and improve patient outcomes.

Kim Gittings , Director for Diversity and Inclusion VCOM-Virginia

SWAG��Ƶhas established several programs as part of its daily commitment to diversity, including:

A commitment to recruiting students from underserved and rural communities.

A college-wide Office for Diversity and Inclusion, which helps SWAG��Ƶrecruit diverse students, faculty and staff across its four campuses, as well as DEI committees on each campus, ensuring that the particular needs of students at each campus are being addressed.

Partnering with select HBCUs and institutions with large Hispanic populations to form articulation agreements and guarantee interview slots to their students.

Operating the Summer Enrichment Experience summer program for high school students, which introduces them to medical professions. The program is offered at no cost to diverse and first-generation students.

Working closely with and supporting the Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) which promotes programs for minorities, rural and first-generation students.

Supporting the work of a variety of student groups that enrich campus life with many guest speakers and seminars related to diversity in connection with healthcare and osteopathy topics, like treating LGBTQ+ patients, trauma-informed osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) practices and providing care to Muslim women.

diversity

Virginia

By Amy Ostroth -

Darnita Anderson Hill, DO, Speaks about the History of Blacks in Osteopathic Medicine

ebailey — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:13:27 +0000

Darnita Anderson Hill, DO, Speaks about the History of Blacks in Osteopathic Medicine ebailey Mon, 02/12/2024 - 11:13

Darnita Anderson Hill, DO, Speaks about the History of Blacks in Osteopathic Medicine

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William G. Anderson is an icon in the osteopathic profession. He was the first Black president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), a member of the AOA Board of Trustees and a member of VCOM’s founding Board of Directors. He is also an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. He worked with Martin Luther King, Jr., and was the personal physician to Rosa Parks. He and his wife wrote a book about their experiences fighting for civil rights in Albany, Georgia, the proceeds of which go back to the American Osteopathic Foundation to provide scholarships for Black students who want to pursue education in osteopathic medicine.

The AOA notes that, “At one time, Dr. Anderson was the only Black DO in the entire state of Georgia.” In 2009, Dr. Anderson was honored with the American Osteopathic Foundation’s (AOF) Lifetime Achievement Award. His commitment to osteopathy and civil rights, as well as to VCOM, is the reason why the College named their Black History Month speaker series after him: the William G Anderson DO Speaker Series. Given his dedication to the profession, it is perhaps unsurprising that Dr. Anderson’s daughter became an osteopathic physician herself, and SWAG��Ƶwas honored to welcome Darnita Anderson Hill, DO, to campus on Feb. 6 to be the 2024 featured speaker of the series.

Dr. Hill is understandably proud of both of her parents, and she says she was fortunate to have access to a small neighborhood clinic where she was born—a clinic that was all the more important because African Americans weren’t welcome in the local hospital. The doctor at the clinic was a DO, just the 4th black DO in the country, and that doctor inspired her father to attend osteopathic school. “It was practically predestined for me to attend an osteopathic medical school,” she laughed.

Her talk to the SWAG��Ƶcommunity was primarily about the book she published in 2017, after 10 years of research: Blacks in Osteopathic Medicine: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.

The point of the book, she said, is to preserve history and the stories of struggle and pain. This history is inspiring because everyone has their own struggles—personal, societal or collective struggles. “When we draw on others’ experiences, it makes us stronger,” she said. “These are topics that a lot of people don’t want to talk about because it makes them uncomfortable. We live in a time. . .where you have so many ideas and types of individuals that we are forced to address, and we should be forced to address, because then we become more sensitive to the needs and concerns of others.”

Although DOs and MDs are now recognized similarly—they have the same number of years of training, they can take the same board exams, they go into all of the same specialties—that was not always the case.

The profession struggled to become known and accepted. The founder of osteopathic medicine, A.T. Still, was considered by many to be a quack. In 1960, there were just six qualified colleges of osteopathic medicine. In 1961, the Pacific College of Osteopathy defected because they didn’t want to be associated with osteopathy anymore. Osteopathic physicians were not welcome in hospitals to treat those with polio, despite there being some evidence that osteopathic manipulative medicine aided in treatment. Graduates from the aforementioned Pacific College of Osteopathy sold their DO degrees for $65. In 1961, the American Medical Association stated that there could not be two distinct sciences of medicine. “That is similar in ways to the struggle in Black history,” Dr. Hill said. “I was really astounded by some of the parallels. They said the same thing about Blacks in America. You’re not equal.”

The first two Black DOs were women: Meta Christy and Edna Kennedy, who graduated in 1921 and 1927, respectively. The first Black man to earn a DO degree was Dr. Weymouth Leopold Swainson, who graduated in 1947. Between 1947 and 1957, nearly a dozen pioneering Black men entered the osteopathic profession. In the 1960s, more than 100 Black osteopathic physicians took their place in the profession.

African Americans often have difficulty trusting the traditional medical system because of experiments like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Relf case in 1973, which revealed that more than 100,000 mostly Black, Latina and indigenous women were sterilized against their will. “I love osteopathic medicine—I love the profession—because it does not have a record of atrocities like this,” Dr. Hill said. The history of medicine, she went on, shows the value of having a physician who looks like you.

Her presentation to the community ended with this thought: “May you be encouraged to celebrate your own diverse and unique lives and ideas . . . so long as it is not self-serving, but as a gift and reminder that your part contributes to the benefit of the whole.”

Many thanks to Dr. Hill for coming to visit our VCOM-Virginia family and to the VCOM-Virginia chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), who organizes the College’s Black History Month events.

diversity

Virginia

By Amy Ostroth -

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee Inspires SWAG��ƵCommunity Members to Blaze Their Own Trail

ebailey — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:36:32 +0000

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee Inspires SWAG��ƵCommunity Members to Blaze Their Own Trail ebailey Mon, 02/13/2023 - 16:36

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee Inspires SWAG��ƵCommunity Members to Blaze Their Own Trail

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On Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee was the keynote speaker for VCOM’s William G. Anderson, DO, Speakers Series, the premier event of the College’s Black History Month celebration.

By any measure, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee is an impressive person. She was the first African American woman to serve as dean of a U.S. medical school, Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow where she learned a lot about public health policy. She was physician in the Navy reserves. She has been the vice president for health sciences and medical affairs at the New York Institute of Technology and dean of the school’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has served as chair of AACOM’s Racism and Injustice in Healthcare Education Adaptive Working Group and president of the American Osteopathic Foundation.

Amariah Sledge, president of the SWAG��Ƶchapter of the Student National Medical Association, which organized VCOM’s Black History Month events, noted that Dr. Ross-Lee was a trailblazer, “opening doors for all of us, especially women and young black women.”

Certainly, Dr. Ross-Lee's resume is notable, but on Monday afternoon, she said that what she’s most proud of doesn’t really appear on her curriculum vitae. “My biggest contributions were the innovations that I brought to the classroom and that I brought to the clinical setting to help students learn, the things I brought to the innovation of medical education,” she said. The work she and her team did at Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine to focus on problem-based and small-group learning has become a model of osteopathic education.

And despite her many accolades, she told the assembled crowd that she never aspired to be the dean of a medical school. What she desired was to make things better in education and to better prepare the medical students she was seeing in her office. Her life hasn’t been about following a specific plan, she said, but rather taking opportunities as they presented themselves so that she could do the things that mattered to her. “Build on who you are,” Dr. Ross-Lee advised. “That’s what blazing a trail is.”

Following Dr. Ross-Lee’s talk, SGA President Tarana Zaman announced Curtis McInnis, Jr., as the winner of VCOM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award. In introducing him, she observed that he was a model SWAG��Ƶstudent leader with a knack for making people feel seen and heard. “It is clear that he seeks to eliminate health care disparities by providing strategies and programs that address discrimination, preventative action, health equity and quality of health while also educating osteopathic medical students,” she said.

In accepting the award, McInnis noted that he was honored to be included with the others who had won the award before him. He also offered three pieces of advice that have helped him throughout his journey. First, he asked the audience to be intentional with their actions and move with purpose. Secondly, he asked that they hold themselves accountable for recognizing their own bias and to seek to do better. And finally, he asked them to understand the power of really listening.

The afternoon’s event was a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community to learn and be inspired.

diversity

Virginia

By Amy Ostroth -

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Recognized for its Efforts to Increase Diversity in Healthcare

ebailey — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 18:33:51 +0000

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Recognized for its Efforts to Increase Diversity in Healthcare ebailey Wed, 11/16/2022 - 13:33

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Recognized for its Efforts to Increase Diversity in Healthcare

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Increasing the diversity of physicians in the Appalachian and Delta Regions of the United States is an integral part of the mission of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), which is why the College is committed to recruiting and supporting historically underrepresented and first-generation students.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, has recognized VCOM’s efforts with its 2022 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. This is a national honor recognizing the top 4% of U.S. medical colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is the third time SWAG��Ƶhas been honored with this award.

Demographic changes and economic challenges in the southeastern United States are a fact of life. Physicians who understand these changes and appreciate the full spectrum of human diversity in the communities they serve will be much better equipped to meet the needs of those communities. That is why SWAG��Ƶis committed to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across its four campuses.

Those efforts include community outreach, a holistic admissions process, exhibits at national meetings and conferences that focus on underrepresented groups, as well as summer education and enrichment programs. Each campus also has a Diversity Officer and resources, as well as a Center of Institutional, Faculty and Student success, which provides academic assistance to all students. The College’s administration and student groups have hosted many guest speakers related to diversity, including healthcare-related topics such as disparities in healthcare delivery for African Americans, treating LGBTQ+ patients and providing care to Muslim women.

Enhancing diversity in healthcare really is at the heart of VCOM’s mission to care for medically underserved populations, so I’m pleased to be honored with the HEED Award. SWAG��Ƶis committed to effectively training the next generation of physicians with the cultural competency to provide the highest quality medical care to every human being, from all ethnic backgrounds. We will continue to recruit, support and retain both students and faculty who bring their much-needed perspectives to the work we do.

Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, FACOFP , SWAG��ƵPresident and Provost

VCOM, along with 64 other recipients of the award, will be featured in the December 2022 issue of the magazine. “The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.” For more information about the 2022 Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

award diversity

Virginia

By Amy Ostroth -

William G Anderson DO Speaker Series - Jay-Sheree Allen, MD

ebailey — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 19:56:01 +0000

William G Anderson DO Speaker Series - Jay-Sheree Allen, MD ebailey Mon, 02/21/2022 - 14:56

William G Anderson DO Speaker Series - Jay-Sheree Allen, MD

Tags: diversity

SNMA Presents - The William G. Anderson D.O. Speaker Series 2022

Making Your Mark in Medicine With Jay-Sheree Allen, MD

Dr. Jay-Sheree is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician, advocating for the health of the Millennial generation and minority populations.

More Info (PDF)

Campus: Virginia

When: March 1, 2022 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST

MMSA Health Fair

ebailey — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 19:51:44 +0000

MMSA Health Fair ebailey Mon, 02/21/2022 - 14:51

MMSA Health Fair

Tags: diversity, outreach

SWAG��ƵMedical Muslim Student Association Presents:

ISNRV HEALTH FAIR 2022

1284 N MAIN ST, BLACKSBURG, VA 24060

Visit the MMSA Health Fair for free check- ups, health awareness talks, and OMM treatments!

More Info (PDF)

Campus: Virginia

When: March 4, 2022 5:00pm to 8:00pm EST

Region VI Medical Education Conference: Bridging Global Healthcare Disparities

ebailey — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 20:33:00 +0000

Region VI Medical Education Conference: Bridging Global Healthcare Disparities ebailey Tue, 11/30/2021 - 15:33

Region VI Medical Education Conference: Bridging Global Healthcare Disparities

Tags: diversity

Hosted by: SNMA
Where: Online at Accelevents (see flyer below)

The theme of this event is focused on educating future physicians on providing medical to international communities significantly affected by healthcare disparities.

Campus: Virginia

When: December 3, 2021 to December 4, 2021 All day

The Look - Driving Change Through Conversations

ebailey — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:27:06 +0000

The Look - Driving Change Through Conversations ebailey Mon, 11/01/2021 - 09:27

The Look - Driving Change Through Conversations

Tags: diversity

SWAG��ƵVirginia's Office of Diversity and Inclusion presents: The Look - Driving Change Through Conversations

This event is open to students, faculty, and staff. Please check your email for a Zoom event invitation.

More Info (PDF)

Campus: Virginia

When: November 15, 2021 5:00pm to 6:30pm EST

HCMO Presents - Dr. Marcie Costello - Serving the Hispanic Population

ebailey — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:19:36 +0000

HCMO Presents - Dr. Marcie Costello - Serving the Hispanic Population ebailey Tue, 10/12/2021 - 10:19

HCMO Presents - Dr. Marcie Costello - Serving the Hispanic Population

Tags: diversity

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, HCMO presents:

Serving the Hispanic Population with Dr. Marcie Costello.

This event is open to Students, Faculty, and Staff by ZOOM link sent via email.

Campus: Virginia

When: October 14, 2021 7:00pm to 8:00pm EDT

SNMA & HCMO Multicultural Showcase

ebailey — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 20:38:11 +0000

SNMA & HCMO Multicultural Showcase ebailey Thu, 08/19/2021 - 16:38

SNMA & HCMO Multicultural Showcase

Tags: diversity

Location: SWAG��ƵPavilion

Come show us your talents or come as a guest and enjoy music and performances from around the world!

This event is open to students, faculty, and staff. Family, kids, and pets are welcome!

Campus: Virginia

When: August 27, 2021 6:30pm to 8:00pm EDT