Welcome

The School of Medicine believes that a vibrant and diverse institutional climate is essential to the medical education and work environment, both promoting a culture of inclusion and the ability to effectively deliver healthcare in diverse communities.  A diverse learning and work environment should include, but not be limited to, community members from different racial and ethnic origins, socioeconomic backgrounds, rural and urban communities, geographic origins, sexual orientation, religious backgrounds, and academic backgrounds.  It should also include both men and women who can contribute to the medical education community through different personal experiences, such as overcoming hardship, demonstrating involvement within the community, possessing multilingual abilities, and/or exhibiting different life experiences that may contribute to achieving a diverse and inclusive environment. 

The School of Medicine established an office of diversity in October 1980.  Since its inception, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has worked closely with students, faculty and staff to develop and promote programs and initiatives that support an inclusive environment.  The goals of the office include: 

• Promote policies, initiatives and resources that build an environment and community of success for all students, faculty, and staff, including those underrepresented in medicine.
• Increase the diversity of our faculty, staff and student population through recruitment, retention and development activities.
• Strengthen connections between the School of Medicine and the community in which it serves through service learning, research and/or other opportunities for collaboration.
• Encourage initiatives that promote cultural competency in teaching, learning and healthcare delivery.

Equity & Access

The UMKC School of Medicine adheres to all policies and procedures adopted and approved by the University of Missouri system and the University of Missouri – Kansas City.  UMKC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, military status, veteran status, in admissions, educational programs or activities and employment.  The University complies with all federal and state laws and University of Missouri System policy regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the State of Missouri Human Rights Act Chapter 213 RSMO.  

Any person who feels they have been discriminated against or who have inquiries regarding this institution’s compliance with the foregoing regulations may contact the UMKC Office of Affirmative Action at 816-235-1771.  Additional resources are also available:

Division of Diversity and Inclusion

Office of Affirmative Action

You may also contact the School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 816-235-1780.

Meet the members of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

	Tyler K. Smith, MD, MPH Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
	Rachel McCommon, M.A.Ed. Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Initiatives
	Diana Dark, MD Associate Dean for the Learning Environment

U.N.I.T.E.D.

Uniting Numerous medIcal Trainees for Equity and Diversity

Mission Statement

“We are a trainee advisory group that aims to foster and develop relationships across specialties, as well as advocate for diversity among all UMKC and CMH residency and fellowship programs. Through planning and hosting social events and educational workshops, we aim to bring people from all backgrounds together, to inspire collaboration and support the exchange of ideas on how to make UMKC a more diverse, welcoming, and inclusive workspace for all.”

Leadership

	Rachel McCommon, MA.Ed. UNITED Advisor and Creator
	Zuri Hudson, MD CMH Pediatrics Resident
	Shanice Robinson, MD UMKC Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident

Current 2020-2021 Membership

	Seenu Abraham, MD – UMKC Family Medicine Resident
	Rebecca Aguayo, MD – UMKC Family Medicine Resident
	Darius Blanding, MD – CMH Pediatrics Resident
	Abigail Halleron, MD – UMKC Emergency Medicine Resident
	Johana Mejias-Beck UMKC Pediatric Medicine Resident

Uniting Numerous medIcal Trainees for Equity and Diversity (UNITED) is a residency and fellowship advisory group founded in 2019 from the spirit and need of residents and fellows across the Hospital Hill campus who recognized the need for creating safe spaces to develop community and build relationships among under-represented in medicine (UIM) physicians.  UIM physicians are not limited to racial and ethnic identities, but also include those identifying as LGBTQIA+, numerous religious faiths and beliefs, diverse geographical locations, and varying ability levels.

The goal is to develop and foster relationships across medical specialties while advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion among residency and fellowship programs. Through social events and educational workshops, we aim to bring together people from different backgrounds to inspire collaboration and support the exchange of ideas on how to make our graduate medical education programs more diverse, welcoming, and inclusive workspaces for all.  Training programs affiliated with UMKC School of Medicine are different, but all strive to create a learning environment that prepares physicians to care for a global community of patients.

UNITED provides a platform bringing residents and fellows together in the exchange of ideas to diversify their respective training program.  UNITED gives trainees a safe space outside of clinical responsibilities to harness their passion for advocacy, community engagement, and providing excellent medical care to patients while serving as ambassadors of their respective UMKC School of Medicine training program.  Group members strive to improve the health of patients and Greater Kansas City communities through education about health care disparities and social determinants of health while increasing awareness about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Key Time Periods and Action Items

The SOM Diversity Council developed a number of action items to implement a three-year Diversity Strategic Plan. Closely aligned with the SOM Strategic Plan and UMKC Diversity Strategic Plan, the initial 31 action items were developed to improve the living, learning, and working environment of faculty, staff, residents, students and especially those in underrepresented communities. This is a living document that will grow and evolve over time.

Status Key:   Completed   On time   Timeline shifted   Project restructured

Council Leadership

Fariha Shafi, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, TMC (Council Chair)
Maria Ibarra, MD, Pediatrics: Rheumatology, CMH (Council Vice Chair)
Tyler Smith, MD, MPH, Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, UMKC

Council Appointed, Elected and Ex-Officio Members

Debra Ahern, MD, Adjunct, Community and Family Medicine, TMC
Alice Arredondo, EdD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, UMKC
Petra Bricker, MA, Senior Education Team Coordinator, UMKC
Adnan Choudhury, Adjunct, Internal Medicine
Nathan Driskill, MA, Student Support Specialist Senior, Adjunct Assistant Professor, UMKC
Katherine Ervie, Assistant Teaching Professor/Physician Assistant Program, UMKC
Sanju Eswaran (UMKC-Student)
Charlie Inboriboon, Graduate Medical Education Representative, UMKC
Jacqueline Kitchen, MD, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, CMH
Girwan Khadka, PhD, Assistant Professor, UMKC, Pediatric Psychologist, CMH
Angellar Manguvo, Instructional Designer, UMKC
Marissa Mendez, MD Resident Physician
Uzoamaka Ofodu, (UMKC-Student)
Carol Stanford, MD, Adjunct Internal Medicine, TMC
Gary Sutkin, MD, Professor, Associate Dean Of Women’s Health, TMC
Michael Weaver, MD, FACEP CDM, Vice President of Clinical Diversity, St. Luke’s

UMKC School of Medicine

• UMKC Diversity Strategic Action Plan 02-10-13 (Draft)
• Advancing the Health of Our Community through Diversity and Inclusion
• Guideline Regarding Religious Holidays and Practices (Nov.9, 2015)

UMKC Resources

• Office of Diversity Access and Inclusion
• UMKC Disability Office
• Sojourner Clinic
• UMKC SNMA

State & National Resources

• Missouri Office of Minority Health
• AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion Diversity
• Ethnomed
• DiversityInc.com
• Asian Pacific American Student Association
• American Women in Medicine Association
• National Medical Association

Who we are & Where we are

Tyler Smith, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Dean, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
816-235-1780
Email: smithtk@umkc.edu 
Office: M1-109 Medical School

Rachel McCommon, M.A. Ed.
Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
816-235-6251
Email: mccommonr@umkc.edu 
Office: M3-225 Medical School

Diana Dark, M.D.
Associate Dean for the Learning Environment
816-932-3408
Email: ddark@saintlukeskc.org

UMKC School of Medicine
2411 Holmes Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

UMKC School of Medicine recognizes that a diverse faculty is important to providing medical education that addresses the effective delivery of healthcare in diverse communities. We also understand that leadership, faculty members and search committees benefit from helpful tools and information to assist in the recruitment and selection process. We invite you to access the following resources:

• Interview Toolkit: A Resource for Search Committees
• Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation
• Finding Top Talent: How to Search for Leaders in Academic Medicine

What You Don’t Know: The Science of Unconscious Bias and What To Do About it in the Search and Recruitment Process

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that unconscious bias may influence the evaluation and selection of candidates from entry-level to leadership positions in all types of organizations, including medical schools and teaching hospitals. This presentation, created for academic medicine audiences, is designed to acquaint search committees and others with this research as one step toward mitigating the effects of unconscious bias.

To learn more about unconscious bias and how it impacts search processes, access the AAMC-sponsored webinar, entitled “What You Don’t Know: The Science of Unconscious Bias and What To Do About it in the Search and Recruitment Process”.

Take the Implicit Bias Test

Unconscious Bias Bibliography

Background of Cultural Competency

• In the next 30-50 years, 50% of the population of the United States will consist of “minority groups”.
• Understanding different backgrounds is a necessity to deliver good quality health care.
• Understanding our own prejudices, preferences, attitudes and behaviors will help us improve our practice and access to care.

Mission of Faculty Development

This site is designed to aid physicians, medical students, nursing and ancillary staff to assess their own cultural competency and to understand related concepts. Our aim is provide easy tools to enhance cultural competency in the School of Medicine so that the care we provide to our diverse patient population is exemplary and in keeping with the changes in our society.

It is also designed as a tool for faculty development in this area and an easy way to teach culturally competent care to our residents, fellow, students etc.

We will be updating this site with recent articles, conferences and updates related to the field.

Core Issues of Cultural Competency

Faculty and students need to have an understanding of racial and ethic disparities that affect healthcare quality and effectiveness. They need to be aware of their personal bias that might affect their delivery of healthcare in a diverse patient population. Faculty and learners need to be able to develop an understanding of various religious beliefs, social, economic and ethnic backgrounds and the way in which these groups perceive ailments, seek care and respond to various healthcare systems. They need to be aware of the mistrust and prejudice, gender, spiritual and religious issues along with family dynamics that might come into play interacting with patients from different backgrounds and be able to use available tools to overcome them.

The AAMC recommends using TACCT (Tool for Assessing Cultural Competency Training) as a self-assessment tool to examine all components of cultural competency. It helps us in meeting the LCME requirements also.

“Effective teaching about cultural competence requires a solid knowledge base, which can be developed in lectures, assignments, and small group activities. Skill building is most effectively accomplished in interactive, experiential learning settings. Exploring attitudes and developing effective communication strategies require an opportunity for reflection and discussion. The information from the TACCT Specific Components grid can form the basis for a strategic plan to modify and/or enhance the curriculum to assure that medical students receive an appropriate educational experience.”

– Adapted from AAMC.org/meded/tacct

CLAS Standards

Stands for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services. The National standards were set by the office of minority health in 2000. CLAS standards focus on eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities and improving health for all Americans. All staff members of health care institutions need to deliver effective, understandable and respectful care compatible with cultural beliefs, practices and preferred language of the population that they serve. Institutions must try to recruit, retain and promote a diverse staff at all levels of the organization. Institutions must also ensure ongoing education and training in CLAS delivery is provided to staff. The themes of CLAS standards are:

• Culturally Competent Care
• Language Access Services
• Organizational Supports

Current & Classic Recources

This section will highlight recent and classic resources in the cultural competency and health disparities. Each month there will be annotated references of journal articles, books, and electronic resources which highlight the strengths and applications of the resource for teaching and learning. The resources may include content material, curriculum or instructional development material.

If you would like to contribute an annotated resource contact:

Timothy P. Hickman, MD, MEd, MPH or Fariha Shafi, MD.

• April – May 2010
• June – July 2010
• August – September 2010
• October – November / December 2010
• January – February 2011
• March – April 2011
• July – August 2011
• September – October 2011
• November – December 2011
• January – March 2012
• April – June 2012
• July – September 2012
• October – December 2012