University of Kansas Medical Center

According to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the KU School of Medicine provides "many pathway programs to recruit, retain and support a diverse cadre of students and faculty", with the goal of working together to achieve health equity.

Faculty, staff and students are provided with optional training that covers, among other topics, "unconscious bias" and "structural racism and structural competency in medicine."

A research paper analyzing the effects of implementing unconscious bias training at the University of Kansas Medical Center reported that participants who identified as White "clearly increased their awareness of bias." The researched then recommended that the school move away from "one-size-fits-all unconscious bias training and develop a robust training continuum to provide ongoing advancement for diverse audiences."

Data from more than 900 satisfaction surveys completed by individuals who attended Unconscious Bias training at KU Medical Center from 2018-2020 have been used to "inform the next version of the [unconscious bias training] that will be rolled out by fall 2022 to all three KU School of Medicine campuses.

The school's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion outlines its strategic initiatives including the "Institution-Wide Goal" of providing "mandatory Unconscious Bias 1.0 training for all employees and learners on all three campuses." In addition, one of the "Kansas City Campus Goals" is to "Address and reduce health inequities through partnership with internal and external stakeholders committed to social justice."

KUMC has a Birth Equity Clinical Scholar Training Program (BEST), which is a two-year program for KU School of Medicine residents sponsored by the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Medicine, and Population Health. BEST's mission is to "educate, advocate, engage, and empower providers to create and sustain inclusive, accessible, and equitable maternal care."

Enrichment Weeks are sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and give medical students the opportunity to immerse themselves into diversity education. It includes two types: Medical Spanish Immersion Enrichment Week and Racism In Medicine Enrichment Week, the latter of which "gives students an opportunity to gain an appreciation of the impact of racism on American medicine and the structure of US healthcare."

The KU School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers optional bias training. Training includes these four areas: unconscious bias, structural racism and structural competency in medicine, working effectively with medical interpreters, and bystander intervention.

The Clinical Cultural Diversity Series (CCDS) is a speaker series that explores intercultural communication in the clinical setting. The goal of this program is to provide insight and to educate about the differences and/or discrepancies in the healthcare system, specifically with underprivileged/underserved groups.

School curriculum is in part guided by Diversity and Inclusion "Threadheads" to "idenitify appropriate learning objectives and competencies."

The co-chair of the Diversity, Health Equity and Lunclusion Curriculum committee, which exists "to not only review existing didactic materials for instances of bias, but to also update DHEI learning objectives and make sure they are purposefully addressed in the curriculum." Part of his process includes a partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical University to employ "A Checklist for Assessing Bias in Health Profession Education Content."

The KU School of Health Professions has a Dean's Diversity Scholarship offered to students "from underserved populations" and awarded by the faculty DEI committee.

The Vice Chancellor’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cabinet states that it is "commitment toward cultivating diverse, equitable and inclusive environments."

The KU School of Health Professions has a faculty diversity, equity and inclusion committee.

The KU School of Health Professions has a DEI podcast for the school community to learn more about what the DEI committee is doing.

The KU School of Health Professions has a Student Diversity Council.

KUMC Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has an Instagram with "they/them" pronouns.

KU School of Medicine's Office of Diversity and Inclusion partnered with the Office of Admissions to develop the Urban Scholars Program for Students Underrepresented in Medicine, a two-year assured admissions program designed to recruit minority students from the urban areas of Kansas who are "committed to ameliorating the health challenges faced by their communities."

The Department of Population Health and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the KU School of Medicine collaborated to create the TSCORE LIFT (Teachers and Students for Community Oriented Research and Education: Linking Industry, Faculty and Teachers). TSCORE LIFT seeks to "support historically underrepresented and minoritized students on their path to health care careers through the creation and implementation of an introduction to health careers curriculum."

The school's Counseling and Educational Support Services posted a "Black Lives Matter" header which states that its office is "committed to providing resources for anyone affected by racism and supporting our students, residents and fellows in anti-racism efforts."

The school's Counseling and Educational Support Services published a comprehensive list of "Racial Trauma" and "Ally Development" resources including: "Black Lives Matter - Healing Action Toolkit," "Healing through Social Justice Resources," and "Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism."

KUMC announced in June 2023 that it had launched the Center for African American Health, which will focus on improving the health outcomes of Black, African American and other marginalized people and populations through service, education, research and policy. The center will be a community-led effort spearheaded by the Office for DEI at KUMC.

KUMC has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador. Selected DEI Ambassadors are appointed as leaders for a one-year term and receive a one-time educational scholarship/book voucher for $1,000 ($500 per fall/spring semester).

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Toolbox provides support for efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in various departments across the KU campus.

KUMC has Diversity Outreach Crew (DOCs), which serve as ambassadors for the School of Medicine and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and help increase diversity initiatives on campus.

KUMC has a Diversity, Health Equity and Inclusion (DHEI) Curriculum Committee that reviews existing School of Medicine curriculum and didactic materials for instances of bias to "support inclusive practices in the School of Medicine and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of medicine."

The Global Scholars Distinction Program (GSDP) at KUMC recognizes students who take the initiative and show a commitment to actively seeking extracurricular experiences which "interface with culture, health disparities, underserved populations and diverse groups to enhance their classroom academics."

KUMC's Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion created an initiative known as the REPAIR Project, which is "a multi-institutional anti-racism collaboration with the University of California at San Francisco and communities of color surrounding the University of Kansas Medical Center campuses."

The KU School of Health Professions (part of KUMC) has a "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Core Value Statement."

The school's Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs issued a statement regarding the "race-based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation" and stated that "These tragedies reflect a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice and violence, and we stand against racism and hate in all forms. Our staff is committed to taking action to address systemic oppression, racism and discrimination in our community."

The Kansas Birth Equity Network within the Kansas Medical Center seeks to "create birth equity in Kansas through training, research, healthcare, and advocacy," specifically focusing on create solutions that improve Black maternal, paternal, and infant health.

KUMC Community Conversations take place each Thursday of the month and are a casual forum for students, faculty, and staff to share diverse insights on various topics of interest to the community. Discussion themes include "Turning the Page", "Culture Hour", "Sustainability", "Health & Wellness", and "Crucial Conversations" on essential and newsworthy topics. Turning the Page involves discussing books about systemic racism and its impact on health care and bio-medical research.