Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

One of our top strengths here at SUNY Downstate/Kings County is the wonderful diversity in our patients, the faculty, trainees, and students. Our department has long been committed to developing an academically vigorous and clinically unparalleled training program that seeks to learn from and reflect the rich cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the community we serve.

RESIDENTS AS LEADERS

In addition to being Clinical Monsters, our residents are leaders within our community, advocates for our patients and active participants in initiatives hospital-wide. Their involvement spans: Diversity and Inclusion Committee Council Members, CIR Union Representatives, Administrative Scholars and Summer Minority Mentorship Programs in Emergency Medicine.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

"I am what a doctor looks like." In commemoration of Women's History Month, in light of today's International Women's Day celebrations, and the many calls for action in support of women's rights, Downstate proudly recognizes Teresa Y. Smith, MD, emergency physician who has dedicated her training to working in the urban communities of New York City. Dr. Smith serves as the current Designated Institutional Official Graduate Medical Education and Affiliations, formerly Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency.

FACULTY INVOLVEMENT

Dr. Monalisa Muchatuta (Alumni Class of 2017), Dr. Ade Adesina (Alumni Class of 2016) and Dr. Carolina Camacho (Alumni Class of 2020) share their perspectives of the lived experiences of immigrant communities they come from and also that of the large immigrant population in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The article entitled "COVID19: Through the Lenses of immigrants" was sponsored by SAEM Pulse by the Academy of Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine (ADIEM).

KAVI BROOKLYN

Kings Against Violence Initiative, Inc. (KAVI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) youth-serving organization with a mission to prevent and eliminate interpersonal violence from the lives of young people through advocacy, peer leadership, community mobilization, and social justice. KAVI operates youth violence interventions programs in Central Brooklyn. Our programs take place in schools and hospital-based settings. We also work with a broad range of partners to do community strengthening and healing programs.

MINORITY MEDICAL STUDENT EMERGENCY MEDICINE (MMSEM) Summer Program

Founded in 2009, MMSEM is designed to give highly qualified first and second year medical students the opportunity to get first-hand clinical experience in one of the busiest emergency departments in the country. In an intense 40 hour a week, 6-week program, participants will gain direct experience in emergency medicine research, clinical skills such as history taking, suturing, splinting, exposure to cutting edge emergency ultrasound and medical simulation, grant writing, USMLE and residency application preparation, and mentoring experience with the most diverse emergency medicine residency program in the country.

LGBTQIA+ Journal Club

We work toward creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for LGBTQIA+ students, staff, faculty, post-docs, residents, fellows and patients. Our resident run journal club discusses and advocates for LGBTQIA+ healthcare, particularly in the ED, but also within the greater NYC and national context.