October 4, 2022
The Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) is pleased to announce that it has received the 2023 ACGME Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.
The Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award honors ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs, as well as specialty organizations working to diversify the underrepresented physician workforce and create inclusive workplaces that foster humane, civil, and equitable environments.
Over the past decade, APPD has developed several initiatives and programs that foster DEI and anti-racism. Those efforts include:
• Creation of the APPD LGBTQA+ Learning Community.
• Creation of the APPD Underrepresented in Medicine in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education Learning Community.
• Development of four novel mentoring programs to support UIM APPD members:
1. Advancing Inclusiveness in Medical Education Scholars (AIMS), for UIM
pediatric residents interested in medical education;
2. UIM Chief Residents Mentoring Program;
3. Fostering Underrepresented in Medicine Educational Leaders (FUEL), for
UIM junior faculty;
4. UIM Coordinators Mentorship Program.
• Confronting Racism (https://www.appd.org/about/confronting-racism/)
1. Creation of the APPD Anti-Racism Action Team.
2. Increasing the diversity of our workforce through the APPD Confronting Racism Action Team, Pediatrics 2025: AMSPDC Workforce Initiative, and ACGME Equity Matters.
3. Collaboration with the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP, our UME counterpart) by
partnering with 30 organizations and over 150 individuals to build stronger pathways into medicine, from early
childhood through faculty.
Select articles the APPD members have published related to DEI and Anti-Racism work in GME include:
• Blankenburg R, Poitevien P, Gonzalez del Rey J, Aylor M, Frohna J, McPhillips H, Waggoner-Fountain L, Degnon L. Dismantling Racism: APPD’s Commitment to Action. Academic Pediatrics, 20 (8): 1051–53. November 2020.
• Poitevien P, Blankenburg R. It’s not you, it’s us. Pediatrics, PubMedID 34131042, June 2021.
• Gustafson S, Poitevien P, Acholonu R, Blankenburg R, Fromme HB. Opportunities for mitigating bias in the process and priorities for pediatric chief resident selection, Academic Pediatrics, March 2022.
• Yemane L, Omoruyi E, Poitevien P, Blankenburg R. Advancing Inclusiveness in Medical Education Scholars Program. JGME, June 2022.
• Unaka NI, Winn A, Spinks-Franklin A, Poitevien P, Trimm F, Nuncio Lujano BJ, Turner DA. An Entrustable Professional Activity Addressing Racism and Pediatric Health Inequities. Pediatrics. 2022 Feb 1;149(2):e2021054604. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-054604. PMID: 35001103.
• Montez K, Omoruyi EA, McNeal-Trice K, Mack WJ, Yemane L, Darden AR, Russell
CJ. Trends in Race/Ethnicity of Pediatric Residents and Fellows: 2007-2019. Pediatrics. 2021 Jul;148(1):e2020026666. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-026666. Epub 2021 Jun 15. PMID: 34131043; PMCID: PMC8290973.
APPD is committed to continuing this important work in DEI and Anti-Racism and continuing to collaborate and learn with others and measure and disseminate our outcomes. It is truly an honor to be the recipient of the ACGME Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. We thank the many APPD members and collaborating organizations for their hard work and passion in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
