Department & Center DEI Committees

Part of the Center for Community Health, ARCC's collaborative provides tools and resources for community-academic partners to address racism and other forms of oppression in research and research engagement.

CCH has set the following goals:

• Develop an anti-racist, equity framework to create a community governance structure for CCH.
• Identify a set of opportunities and actions to improve hiring, retention and mentoring within the center.

Affiliated with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, CHIP’s DEI Committee has set the following goals:

• Foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace by engaging the whole CHIP team; offering opportunities for connection, discussion and action; and ensuring everyone at CHIP feels included and supported.
• Focus on the priority areas identified by the CHIP team by promoting communication about DEI in the workplace, assessing and improving DEI in hiring and onboarding processes, and addressing harassment in research and project recruitment.
• Partner with others at the university to increase DEI at Northwestern by collaborating on joint initiatives, aiding in developing and enforcing university policies, and raising visibility of CHIP DEI Committee activities to encourage other groups.

The primary goal of this task force will be to evaluate the ongoing efforts in the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling and to develop recommendations for a sustainable strategy for the implementation and execution of anti-racist work. We aim to:

• Identify gaps in anti-racism efforts based on current and past work that could adversely impact current and future Restorative, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) initiatives.
• Determine priority areas of anti-racism initiatives.
• Make recommendations regarding a program infrastructure that would support and sustain REDI and anti-racism efforts for the future.
• Make recommendations regarding stakeholder roles, needs and engagement in these efforts.

 Galter Library's working group aims to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) at Feinberg School of Medicine by fostering a culture of belonging and inclusion on campus and in our community through efforts related to the environment; policies, procedures and resources; and university-wide initiatives.

The primary goal of this working group will be to determine how to foster a safe and healthy learning environment for students during their fieldwork placements by:

• Examining the needs of the students and the fieldwork supervisors.

• Evaluating existing fieldwork policies and evaluations through a diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) lens.
• Creating materials that can be utilized by the supervisor and the student to foster dialogue regarding DEIJ issues (including the aspect of holistic view of site/healthcare team and institution).
• Considering options for continuing education and opportunities for new and existing supervisors to continue growth in DEIJ.
• Evaluating messaging and communications for potential applicants regarding fieldwork placements and DEIJ implications.
• Considering the sustainability of reevaluating these initiatives.

The committee focuses on the social justice curriculum for the department. The team’s goals also focus on the incorporation of search committees in the hiring process and equity-focused research.

The Department of Surgery values diversity, equity, and inclusion among all faculty, staff, and trainees. The committee is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment for all.

The Diversity & Inclusion Committee is composed of faculty, residents and staff and is co-chaired by Julia Mhlaba Riley, MD, and Roopal Kundu, MD. The committee meets quarterly to work toward expansion of our mission and goals.

The Department of Pathology's specific goal and mission is to promote an academically enriching and supportive climate that promotes diversity, inclusion and access while allowing all members to thrive and succeed.

The committee works to foster DEI best practices and to establish DEI rounds for the Department of Anesthesiology.

Our team continues to address issues of equity facing staff and patients and promotes workforce diversity where possible, ensuring a culture of inclusivity and safety for all emergency department staff and trainees.

The council leads diversity initiatives that provide Department of Medicine trainees and faculty members with tools and skills necessary to deliver inclusive and bias-free care of our patients. We are committed to partnering with the communities we serve. We aim to help create an environment that provides support and opportunity for all members of diverse backgrounds and to meet our specific goals.

• Our community engagement goals include hosting quarterly community engagement and social activities to promote a greater sense of community and belonging for students, trainees and faculty.
• Our goals for trainee recruitment include partnering with program directors to implement best practices in holistic review of applicants and supporting recruitment throughout the application season.
• Goals for faculty recruitment and retention include the development of a set of welcome resources and the implementation of a peer mentorship program for new faculty.

The steering committee aims to consult faculty and staff on the intersection of DEI, mental/behavioral health and education as well as:

• Experience and expertise on developing a logic model that includes tangible steps and actions for accomplishing DEI goals within academic and medical institutes.
• Lectures/didactics about trauma-responsive care, including methods for safe behavior management.
• Consultation about DEI and community-based research.
• Mentorship in and development of pipeline curriculum and activities.

IDEA is a group of Feinberg development staff who are working to drive change related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our office culture, recruitment practices, onboarding and training by:

• Embracing and empowering all backgrounds, learning styles, office roles, and any other qualities that make a person unique pertaining but not limited to race, gender, religion, age, identity, faith, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, and physical and mental ability.
• Growing staff membership through trainings pertaining but not limited to diversity and inclusion, emotional intelligence, and healthy dialogue that leads to change.
• Moving recommendations to actionable solutions to enhance the office culture related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The committee’s mission is to serve as an advisory voice and change agent within Medical Social Sciences (MSS) for matters relating to professional development, diversity and inclusion, and staff engagement.

We are dedicated to fostering a work environment that supports and promotes a culture of equity and belongingness. This is accomplished through active partnership with all members of MSS, department leadership, and central university administration and regulatory offices. The committee includes three subcommittees, which were established to honor the Department’s commitment to improving our conversations about race, racism, and further developing our efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and our research:

• Hiring, Retention & Recruitment
• Mentorship & Career Development
• Departmental Culture

Audience: Faculty, Staff, Trainees

The mission of the DEI committee is to serve as a resource to the Northwestern Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Staff and Faculty in order to:

Promote an environment of inclusiveness that supports our hospital, university, and Center’s mission in providing exceptional clinical care and research opportunities

Support professional development, leadership goals, recruitment, and retention initiatives to meet the needs of historically underrepresented groups.

Assist the Center in creating and sustaining a diversity, equity and inclusion plan that recognizes, respects and leverages the individuality of all Mesulam Center employees as a competitive advantage.

• Free neurology/neurosurgery clinic in Chicago.
• Improved diversity in staff recruitment.
• Community Health Clinic Volunteer Program.
• HEDIC Noon Lecture Series.
• Biannual HEDIC Grand Rounds on health disparities and health equity.
• Biannual Careers in Neurology & Neurosurgery Events.

The NUPOC committee addresses DEI in healthcare through education, discussion and training in addition to curriculum review.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

The OB-GYN committee strives to:

• Improve representation of marginalized groups amongst faculty, trainees, staff and students.
• Create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for career development.
• Develop sustainable mechanisms for ongoing DEI efforts (recruitment, programming, research and community engagement).

 Lurie Cancer Center’s advisory council has the following goals:

• Monitor and analyze staff demographics to mirror the communities we serve.
• Identify professional development opportunities to promote culturally aware and inclusive environments for Lurie Cancer Center staff.
• Assist with developing cultural conversations and resources library containing materials related to anti-racism, health disparities, community development and other culturally relevant topics.
• Create partnerships with community organizations to increase Lurie Cancer Center’s presence through the catchment area.
• Identify internal and external engagement and volunteer opportunities.

The committee aims to increase diversity among the pediatric workforce and conduct implicit bias training at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital.