AUA Announces Inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Committee

BALTIMORE, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced the 14 inaugural members of the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee. The Committee members will begin their terms on November 1, 2022.

Led by Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA, chair of the D&I Committee and chief diversity officer, the D&I Committee will be tasked with advising the AUA Board of Directors on shaping and executing diversity initiatives in accord with the recommendations of the AUA's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. The Committee will be responsible for identifying and advising the AUA's Board of Directors on potential solutions to meet diversity gaps within the AUA organizational programs; collaborating with AUA Program Councils on the implementation of diversity initiatives and methods to recruit, support and retain diverse AUA leaders and volunteers.

"The D&I Committee members are an impressive group of urologists—all of whom have experience and understanding of diversity and inclusion initiatives," said AUA President Edward M. Messing, MD. "The Board and I look forward to working with them and we are confident they will help AUA advance D&I initiatives in the urologic community and advance our efforts in closing health disparities in communities historically excluded by medicine."

Congratulations to the following D&I Committee members:

• Denise Asafu-Adjei, MD, MPH, Director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology and the Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Gregory Broderick, MD, Professor of Urology, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine; Program Director, Urology Residency, Mayo Clinic Florida
• Pamela Coleman, MD, FACS, FPMRS, Associate Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, OBGYN, Howard University School of Medicine; Interim Chief of Urology, Howard University Hospital
• Gabriela Gonzalez, MD, Urology Resident Physician, University of California, Davis
• Tomas Griebling, MD, MPH, FACS, FGSA, AGSF, John P. Wolf 33^rd Degree Masonic Distinguished Professor Urology, Department of Urology, Faculty Associate, The Landon Center on Aging, The University of Kansas School of Medicine
• Nathan Grunewald, MD, FACS, Chief Medical Innovation Officer and Urology Medical Director, Sauk Prairie Healthcare
• Lourdes Guerrios, MD, Urology Attending, Urology Section, Surgery Department, Introductory Research Program Co-Director, VA Caribbean Healthcare System; Research Program Director, Puerto Rico Trauma Center; Assistant Professor, Surgery Department, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
• Justin Han, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Hofstra-Northwell Zucker School of Medicine; Director of Male Reconstructive Urology, Smith Institute for Urology, Northwell Health; Chair for Quality in the Department of Urology, North Shore University Hospital
• Linda McIntire, MD, Urologist, MyMichigan Health
• Miguel Pineda, MD, Director of Male Sexual Dysfunction and Urologic Prosthetics, State Island University Hospital – Northwell Health
• Michelle Jo Semins, MD, Professor, West Virginia University School of Medicine; Chief, Division of Urology, West Virginia University Wheeling Hospital
• Gjanje Smith-Mathis, MD, MPH, Staff Urologist, WakeMed Health and Hospitals
• Simone Thavaseelan, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery/Urology and Program Director of the Urology Residency, Brown University; Chief, Section of Urology, Providence VA Medical Center
• Vijaya Vemulakonda, JD, MD, Professor of Pediatric Urology, Director of Research and Residency Program Director, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with these esteemed members of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee to shape D&I priorities for the AUA," said Dr. Bresler. "My hope is that this team, alongside the whole AUA membership, can help us build a vibrant and diverse community."

The Committee will have representation from all eight sections of the AUA as well as a diversity of gender, race, sexual orientation, practice type and specialty which will provide the diversity of thought that is necessary to move D&I initiatives forward.

Learn about the AUA's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and read more about each of the D&I Committee members at AUAnet.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

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SOURCE American Urological Association