Sixth Annual Trainee Diversity and Inclusion Conference Focuses on Housing Insecurity and Health

The UVA School of Medicine’s House Staff Council for Diversity & Inclusion (HCDI) and the Office of Graduate Medical Education hosted the Sixth Annual Trainee Diversity and Inclusion Conference on April 13, 2024. Over 70 participants from UVA and other institutions attended.

This year, the conference focused on a pressing issue — housing insecurity and its impact on health outcomes. Aligning with April’s National Fair Housing Month, the theme for the conference was Bridging Home and Health: Mobilizing Healthcare in the Fight Against Housing Insecurity. Attendees examined the housing issue from various perspectives: community, health system, and the infrastructural.

The goal of the conference was to explore how trainees, faculty, and staff can be attuned to the challenges of housing insecurity when caring for patients as well as for their colleagues and how those challenges impact clinical outcomes. — Chioma Monema, MD, MBA, co-president of HCDI

The keynote speaker for the conference was Calvin Johnson, PhD, deputy assistant secretary for research, evaluation, and monitoring at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Dr. Johnson serves as one of the principal advisors to the Department’s leadership on research, demonstration, and evaluation activities. He oversees projects exploring the impact of housing on non-housing outcomes, such as economic self-sufficiency, health and wellness, and educational achievement.

In addition to the keynote, UVA Health led an important discussion about ensuring quality care for all individuals inside and outside the hospital. Speakers included Matthew Allen, MD, from the Homelessness Consult Service; Emily Johnson, BSW, an ambulatory social worker with expertise with the homeless population; and Amy Schmidt-Morris, MHA, who has spearheaded the medical center patient-lodging program.

Caregivers need to discuss advocacy strategies to ensure optimal care post-hospitalization to help combat prevalent structural inequalities and advocate for true systematic change. —Anthony Norman, MD, co-president of HCDI.

The day’s events also included an engaging community panel with representatives from IMPACT Cville, PATH Charlottesville, and Liveable Cville. They discussed the important role community partners play in fighting housing inequality.

Brooke Lehmann, JD, from the UVA Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and founder of Capitolworks LLC., and Tom Okuda Fitzgerald, JD, executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, moderated a healthy advocacy framework and the past and present housing policy landscape.

Mark Fleming, II, MD, chief resident in the Department of Surgery and co-founder of HCDI, was also honored with the inaugural Mark A. Fleming, II, MD Award, which recognizes advocacy and advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Graduate Medical Education.

HCDI Presidents Chioma Moneme, MD, MBA, and Anthony Norman, MD, in the Departments of Surgery, are grateful for everyone who supported the event including their fellow trainees, incoming interns; Allan Tsung, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery; Tracy Downs, MD, chief diversity and community engagement officer; Monica Lawrence, MD, UVA designated institutional official (DIO); and Brad Kesser, MD, associate DIO.

The conference would not have been possible without the hard work and support of the HCDI executive board, faculty advisors, and medical student volunteers. A special thank you is also extended to the Office of Graduate Medical Education, which plays an integral part in the conference’s success each year.

To learn more about HCDI and their commitment to promoting diversity and tolerance within the UVA house staff community, please visit the GME Diversity and Inclusion web page.

Photos by Tom Daly.

 

Filed Under: Community, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Education, Featured