Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Division of Vascular Surgery

Mission Statement

The Division of Vascular Surgery believes that supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to quality patient care, effective learning, and high-performance discovery. We are committed to workplace values that cultivate a learning and working environment where each person feels empowered to do their best. We acknowledge that each person’s unique life experiences and identity adds value to our work culture, allowing us to achieve the highest level in patient care, education, and research. By valuing differences and unique experiences, we enhance our collective achievement potential for the benefit of our division, Northwestern University, and the communities we serve.

The objectives of the Equity & Inclusion Focus Group are to:

Provide feedback to the Division on issues of culture, equity, inclusion and diversity, including recommendations for building and maintaining a diverse team
Foster growth, development, and wellness by creating opportunities to develop skills to understand and address inclusion and equity
Formulate action plans for Division-wide practices that develop cultural competency synergize with department and university initiatives
Advocate for and enact changes to ensure fair and just treatment of all our patients regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, religion, country of origin, immigration status, or disability
Identify opportunities to engage broader communities and groups to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, including addressing social determinants of health in access and delivery of patient care
Identify barriers to access of healthcare and identify community and hospital resources to improve access
Meet regularly in order to identify new areas of concern, execute new initiatives, and achieve deliverables in a dynamic and timely fashion

Broad Themes

Access and Continuity of Clinical Care

Specific goals:

We want to provide care that is equitable to all groups
We want to better incorporate social determinants of health inequities into patient care plans
We want to participate in community-wide or professional initiatives that improve health

Recruitment, Career Development, and Team Investment (for trainees, nurses, faculty)

Specific goals:

We want to recruit and retain a diverse team
We want to build mentoring relationships to develop/promote careers, champion diversity, identify problems, and facilitate communication and problem solving

Education

Specific goals:

We want to incorporate training about bias, discrimination, and microaggressions into lectures and journal club
We want to develop practical and every day tools to effectively and confidently handle and respond to these issues when we see it or experience it across the spectrum of experiences (patients, peers, supervisors, etc.)

Wellness

Specific goals:

We want to feel empowered to report bias and discrimination in a confidential and comfortable manner without fear of retribution
We want to have support systems for dealing with the consequences of bias and discrimination

Integration

Specific goals:

We want to integrate our efforts in equity and inclusion with larger departmental and institutional efforts
We want to be able to communicate our efforts and commitment to these themes in an effective way

Self-Guided Learning and Other Resources

How to Report an Incident

Talk to any vascular faculty member or program leadership at any time.
For completely anonymous reporting, please use the box in the Fellows Office. If this is an emergency situation, call 911 or Northwestern University Police at 847-491-3456.

NM Institutional Resources (may require intranet)

Persons with Disabilities – NM Inclusion Promoting Equitable Care
Think ahead about how you can utilize key accommodations and supplies NM has available
Understand updated terms and definitions; speak directly to the patient; use person-first language
Racial Equity – Implicit Bias, Structural Racism, and Racial Trauma
Facilitate an open-ended discussion on structural racism using NM’s Racial Equity Discussion Toolkit
Continue to be sensitive about past or present traumas by communicating with empathy and compassion
LGBTQ – NM policy
Become familiar with updated LGBTQ terms and definitions
Understand LGBTQ Rights
Become a part of Inclusion’s NM Champion Network
Feedback, ideas, and/or questions: Email diversityinclusion@nm.org
Program Director of NM Diversity & Inclusion: Alison Bodor (albodor@nm.org)
Biased Patient Behavior Toward Staff Policy
NM Disability Accommodations for Patients Policy