Anti-Racism Urgent Action Committee
The University of Illinois College of Medicine has established the Anti-Racism Urgent Action Committee.
The committee’s charge is to use the next two to three months to establish an immediate action plan for mitigating the impacts of racism and/or reducing systemic inequities facing people of color by focusing on two types of urgent actions:
- Immediate changes in policies, processes, or training that will ensure short-term change
- Immediate change to college-wide goals and metrics that will enable necessary medium and long-term change
Steering Committee
The steering committee will meet twice monthly and we expect that the subcommittees will have substantive progress reports at these sessions.
If you have any questions, please email Dr. Elam, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and Chair of the Anti-Racism Urgent Action Committee at [email protected] or Beth Wrona Murphy, Assistant Dean for Strategic Planning, at [email protected].
Dr. Jo-Ann Archey
Assist. Dean Diversity & Inclusion
Urbana
Dr. Jon Art
Assoc. Dean Graduate College, Associate Professor
Chicago
Tatiana Betancur Giraldo
Medical Student
Rockford
Marcus Chism Betts
Visting Asst. Vice Chancellor for External Engagement
Chicago
Dr. Alana Biggers
Assistant Professor of Clincal Medicine
Chicago
Yolando Campbell
Assist. Director for Outreach and Recruitment
Chicago
Dr. Gloria Elam
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Chair of ARUAC
Chicago
Hanna Erickson
Medical Student
Urbana
Dr. Koren Ganas
Psychiatry Clerkship Director
Rockford
Daphne Gavins
Director of Human Resources & Faculty Affairs
Chicago
Dr. Memoona Hasnain
Interim Head of Family Medicine & Professor
Chicago
Dr. Amber Hathcock
Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine
Chicago
Dr. Alesia Oscea Hawkins-Jones
Director of Research
Rockford
Dr. Heather Heiman
Assoc. Dean for Medical Education
Chicago
Dr. Hana Hinkle
Assoc. Director Rural Health Development, Clinical Associate
Rockford
Dr. Brittani James
Asst. Professor of Clinical Family Medicine
Chicago
Marchello Johnson
Director Financial Aid
Chicago
Dr. Janet Arlene Jokela
Regional Dean
Urbana
Dr. Kristen Kenan
Clinical Physician
Chicago
Dr. Kristi Kirschner
Clniical Professor
Chicago
Dr. Tim Lacy
Director of Medical Student Learning Environment
Chicago
Dr. Sally Campbell Lee
Assoc. Professor, Director of Transfusion Medicine
Chicago
Dr. Abby Litwiller
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Chicago
Dr. Claudia Lora Assoc.
Professor, Associate Head of Nephrology
Chicago
Dr. Pauline Maki
Prof. of Psychiatry & Psychology, Senior Director of Research, Associate Professor
Chicago
Dr. Michele Mariscalco
Asst. Vice Chancellor-Health Sciences Student Affairs
Chicago
Dr. Joanna Michel
Director of Urban Medicine Program
Chicago
Dr. Amalia V. Pallares
Assoc. Chancellor & Vice Provost for Diversity, Professor Latin American & Latino Studies
Chicago
Dr. Heather Prendergast Professor (CT)
Assoc. Head for Academic Affairs, Resident Research Director
Chicago
Dr. Mark Rosenblatt
Executive Dean, College of Medicine
Chicago
Yolanda Faye Silas
Assoc. Director of Human Resources
Chicago
Dr. H. Steven Sims
Assoc. Professor of Otolaryngology
Chicago
Jasmine Solola
Medical Student
Chicago
Brianna Nicole Stewart
Medical Student
Peoria
Dr. Trevonne Thompson
Assoc. Dean for Admissions
Chicago
Maria Gabriela Valle Coto
Medical Student
Chicago
Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek
Head and Chief of Service, Chief Medical Officer
Chicago
Dr. Elas Vazquez-Melendez
Assist. Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, Assoc. Professor of Clinical Medicine
Peoria
Stacey Walters
Director of Career Services
Chicago
Dr. Karriem Watson
Assoc. Director, Health Equity & Community Engagement, Clinical Assist. Professor
Chicago
Beth Wrona Murphy
Senior Director of Special Projects
Chicago
Denise Yates
Director of Programs, Office of Graduate Diversity Programs
Chicago
Subcommittee Information
Below are detailed descriptions of each of the subcommittees. Four subcommittees (*) will address the concerns at the Chicago campus. These same four concerns will be addressed at the Peoria, Rockford and Urbana campuses by the various task force/committees identified below. The three college wide subcommittees will consist of members from all four campuses in order to provide a unified strategy of action.
This Chicago subcommittee will focus on improving all aspects of the black student experience – counseling, mentoring, mental health and wellness, reporting mistreatment or concerns, learning climate, tutoring, scholarship support, etc.
This Chicago subcommittee will focus on improving the recruitment of black residents/fellows and will focus on the experience of these learners. Aspects of counseling, mentoring, mental health and wellness, reporting avenues for mistreatment racism/ concerns, hospital support and the clinical climate will be primary focus areas.
This Chicago subcommittee will focus on strategies to increase attention to recruitment of black students, faculty and staff. Student recruitment falls under the Admissions Office – recent changes in recruitment and active engagement of ambassadors and staff can be further expanded to encourage more black applicants and acceptances to the COM. Some of these strategies can be utilized in the search/hiring of black faculty and staff. Outreach approaches, widening and conducting holistic searches and strategies for holding hiring officers accountable will be tasks for this committee to consider. Plans to improve retention of the black faculty and staff must also be addressed.
This Chicago subcommittee will focus on improving all aspects of the faculty/staff experience – counseling, mentoring, mental health and wellness, reporting mistreatment or concerns, the clinical, administrative and research climate.
This college-wide subcommittee will develop and present faculty and staff education around being active in the anti-racism culture. Education on racial inequities, micro aggressions, caring for diverse patient populations, improving teaching techniques/content that is free of bias and encouraging engagement of active bystanders will be some of the content presented to faculty and staff in order to improve the environment for students and other members of the college community.
This college-wide subcommittee will plan the summer anti-racism reading/discussion group for incoming students and plan roll out across all phases later this year. Additionally, this subcommittee will focus on reviewing the current curriculum content in all phases to remove biases and inaccuracies, identify deficiencies/omission (that need to be added into the curriculum) and to continue to incorporate the social determinants of health into the materials being taught.
This college-wide subcommittee will formulate a call and action plan for UI COM to make an impact in the communities we serve. The college should serve as an advocate for patients and the needs of the community while addressing the health disparities affecting our patients. This subcommittee will recommend steps for moving forward for UI COM.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force will prioritize and address all of the components of the subcommittees denoted with an asterisk* as they pertain to Peoria.
The ad hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion will prioritize and address all of the components of the subcommittees denoted with an asterisk* as they pertain to Rockford.
The Racial Reform and Social Justice Task Force will prioritize and address all of the components of the subcommittees denoted with an asterisk* as they pertain to Urbana.
