ABEM Receives ACGME's Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award

EAST LANSING, Mich., Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Emergency Medicine is honored to be selected as a recipient of the 2024 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, which recognizes efforts to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the graduate medical education (GME) community.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for our efforts to build a pathway for developing future physicians from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine", stated Ramon W. Johnson, M.D., M.B.A., ABEM President. "This furthers our goal of setting the highest standard in Emergency Medicine by increasing the diversity of our physician workforce to better care for the diverse communities in which we work."

The ACGME recognizes the Dr. Leon L. Haley, Jr., Bridge to the Future of Emergency Medicine Academy for its innovation and excellence to mentor pre-resident learners into the field of medicine and biomedical research. The Haley Academy was established to honor the legacy of Dr. Haley, a member of the ABEM Board of Directors who died in 2021 as a result of a tragic accident. The Academy is designed to provide Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) rising second-year medical students the opportunity to learn about the specialty of Emergency Medicine and participate in a two-week mentorship program at the ABEM headquarters. Selected students join didactic lectures on topics such as reducing health care disparities, increasing diversity in physicians, and applying to residency programs. The students complete a short portfolio project at the end of the experience. In addition, students travel to two nearby Emergency Medicine residency programs (Central Michigan University and Henry Ford Health System) for hands-on simulation and education.

"I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to design a pipeline program in Emergency Medicine in memory of Dr. Leon Haley," stated Yvette Calderon, Chair of ABEM's DEI Committee and organizer of the Academy. "Dr. Haley devoted his career to providing equitable medical care to his patients and the communities he served. This program represents a critical step in fostering the diversity of our field and ensuring the growth and development of future emergency medicine physicians. I am enthusiastic about the potential this program holds to inspire and guide medical students toward the field of Emergency Medicine. I believe we have set a template for other medical specialties to follow."

A third class of the Academy will take place in June 2024.

SOURCE American Board of Emergency Medicine