Florida is one of the most diverse states in the nation, with 55% of those between the ages of 20 and 35 identifying as persons of color. This diversity, however, is not reflected in many healthcare fields or graduates of health professions programs in the state especially those requiring advanced education. Researchers found that in Florida’s current workforce, Hispanic individuals were underrepresented in 19 of 21 health professions reviewed. Among the graduates of programs training the future healthcare workforce, in…
New op-ed published in MedPage Today by Toyese Oyeyemi, Maria Portela, and Ed Salsberg. This piece discusses potential limitations placed on accreditation agencies, changing of reproductive health learning, threats to financial aid, and more. ...
Alec Calac (he/him/his) takes over as guest editor for the August edition of the Social Mission Alliance newsletter to teach us more about Native American health equity....
Social Mission Alliance team member Nadia Bey published an op-ed on June 13, 2024 in NC Newsline, discussing the repeal of a scholarship formerly reserved for Black students at Duke, pre-existing concerns about campus climate and Black enrollment, and how how additional recent changes to Duke's merit scholarship structure will negatively impact who has the ability to enroll. ...
Every February in the United States, we celebrate Black History Month as a nation. As the Social Mission Alliance, we also celebrate Black excellence throughout the year. With the month of February coming to a close, we are taking the time to highlight resources that will help you to continue honoring Black History year-around....
This month, we spoke with Maria Portela MD, MPH, the Director of the Office of Minority Health (OMH) Health Equity Leadership Development Initiative (HELDI). This residential fellowship program is committed to diversifying leadership in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by providing fellows training, mentorship, and HHS agency placement....
In homage to Hispanic Heritage Month, I would like to highlight some of the many outstanding Hispanic individuals in our team working and leading work to achieve equity for individuals belonging to vulnerable populations....
Guest editor Mytien Nguyen, MS is an MD-PhD candidate, student advocate, and husky lover dedicated to promoting justice and equity through community engagement and research. "I have been privileged to be a part of a community of trainee scholars and mentors that is the Social Mission Alliance. As Helen Keller shares, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.""...
The Supreme Court has now placed major limitations on the use of race-conscious admission policies, which is compounded by new bills passed against DEI offices in higher education. As a national alliance, now is the time for us to leverage the resources we have and work together to ensure a diverse health workforce....
As advocates for a socially conscious system of health professional education and a health system accountable to the needs of all of society, we must continue to push for justice in the face of mounting opposition. We must keep an eye on the changing landscape as we persist in innovating new ways to force equity into inherently inequitable systems....
The Social Mission Alliance features Social Mission Champions on our social media accounts and blog. The series highlights the important work done by those who are advancing health equity and addressing the health disparities of the society in which it exists. If you’d like to be considered for a Social Mission Champion feature, complete the form below.