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Spotlight on the Diversity Task Force

April 15, 2021

Spotlight on the Diversity Task Force

The College’s Diversity Task Force has been working on several initiatives to further expand the College’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Gaining a better understanding of the diversity of our membership

The Task Force, led by Cherie Zachary, MD, FACAAI, is exploring how best to enhance the College’s means of gathering DEI data via the member profile and membership surveys. They’ll be making recommendations to the College’s leadership on how various data collection points can be expanded and modified to capture more meaningful information related to the diversity of our membership.

Building a pipeline to the specialty for medical students from historically black colleges

Black physicians are among the least represented minority groups in our specialty. The Task Force is working on establishing a pipeline for more Black physicians to enter the specialty by reaching them at the beginning of their medical training. This includes a collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Allergy and Immunology to bring its Chitra Dinakar Visiting Professor Program to historically black medical colleges (HBMC). The Task Force has also been working with the College’s Program Directors Committee to offer mentorship and scholarship opportunities to HBMC students selected to attend the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting as part of the SPARK Program.

Raising awareness about racial disparities in allergy

The Task Force is planning a webinar series that will dive into the complexities and dynamics of racial/ethnic disparities in allergy. The series will cover clinical considerations in the treatment of allergic diseases among different racial/ethnic groups, as well as socioeconomic, environmental and other factors that contribute to inequities in health outcomes. Discussions in the series will also focus on implicit bias and systemic racism, providing insights on what practitioners can do within their own practices to help create a more equitable system for allergy care.

Many of these resources, including webinars and informational material developed by the Diversity Task Force will be posted to the College’s Racial Disparities and Health Equity Resource Center.

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