Departmental Diversity: Pearls and Pitfalls

Authors
  • Marquita Norman Hicks, MD

    Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA is an Associate Professor and serves as the Associate Vice-Chair of Health Equity, Quality and Safety in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.  She currently serves as chair of the SAEM Finance Committee and a member of the SAEMF Board of Trustees.  She is a past chair of the Equity and Inclusion Committee and past president of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine.  She completed her internship at Howard University and residency training at the University of Michigan.   She completed her MBA from the Collat School of Business at UAB.  Her work has been centered around healthcare workforce diversity and inclusion efforts involving K-16 pathways programs and development of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate medical education.  Dr. Norman’s professional and community interests include health equity, health care workforce diversity, medical education, and communication skills.

  • 190214_JeffreyDruck_high-res - Jeff Druck

    Jeffrey P. Druck, MD

    Member-at-Large

    University of Utah School of Medicine

    Jeff Druck, MD, is the Vice Chair for Faculty Advancement, DEI and Wellbeing of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, as well as being a Professor within the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Druck grew up in Houston, Texas, went to Rice University for his undergraduate degree, received his MD degree from Baylor College of Medicine, and he completed his residency at the Denver Health Residency Program in Emergency Medicine. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and has served as an oral examiner for ABEM for the past 14 years.

    Dr. Druck is an expert in emergency medicine education and in DEI, having served as the chair of his department’s DEI committee, an associate residency director, President of the school’s faculty senate, Student Affairs Dean, and Co-Director of the Office of Professional Excellence at the University of Colorado prior to his move to Utah.

    In addition to serving on the SAEM Board of Directors, Dr. Druck has served as President of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) as well as Co-Chair of the SAEM Consensus conference on Racism in Emergency Medicine. He has served on SAEM’s Awards committee, Program Committee, Consultation Committee, the Faculty Development Committee, and previously directed the Chief Resident Forum. He can be found on LinkedIn at @JeffDruck

  • Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS

    Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion; Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement

    Thomas Jefferson University

    Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, is Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He received his Doctorate in Medicine from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College in 1986. He completed a residency training program in Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in 1989. Since 2013, Dr. Lopez has served as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement in the medical school, providing oversight of diversity and inclusion initiatives for faculty, graduate medical education and medical students. In January 2017, he added the title of Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Thomas Jefferson University, providing oversight and guidance for the ten colleges that make up the university.
  • Lisa Moreno-Walton, MD, MS, MSCR

    Louisiana State University- New Orleans

    Dr. Lisa Moreno is Professor of Emergency Medicine, Director of Research, Diversity, and the Latino Scholars Program at Louisiana State University- New Orleans. She is President-elect of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and an NIH Research Scholar. Her multiple awards include the SAEM Martin Leadership Award, Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Professionalism Award, CORD Distinguished Educator Award, ADIEM Outstanding Academician Award, AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity & Inclusion Certificate, and the Order of the IFEM. The recipient of many research grants, Prof. Moreno has over 500 academic presentations, 45 publications, 6 book chapters, and 2 textbooks. Her research interests include diversity and healthcare disparities, violence prevention and treatment, and viral diseases. She has mentored over 350 students, residents and junior faculty around the world. A global health consultant and educator, she has served in over 25 countries, focusing on the development of research and elimination of healthcare disparities for women, underrepresented minorities, and the under-resourced
  • Pierce - 2022 - Ava Pierce

    Ava Pierce, MD

    SAEM Member-at-Large

    UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas

    Ava E. Pierce, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the Associate Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Director of the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program, a Co-Director of the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) at UT Southwestern and works clinically at Parkland Health and Hospital Systems. She obtained her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport and completed an emergency medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Pierce completed the Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) Program and the AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program and is committed to making innovative changes that will enhance diversity and inclusion and improve excellence in health care, thus strengthening a diverse workforce that will provide culturally competent quality medical care to all. She serves as a member UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Medical School Admissions Committee and is a faculty liaison for Housestaff Emerging Academy of Leaders (HEAL), which focuses on professional development and mentoring for residents and fellows from under-represented groups. Her research interests include medical education, diversity and inclusion, and cardiac resuscitation.

    Dr. Pierce has built a steadfast academic career with involvement in numerous capacities at SAEM. She has been actively involved in the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) since it was founded and has served as ADIEM’s development officer and president. She was awarded ADIEM’s Outstanding Academician Award in recognition of her impact on the academic success of students and residents from underrepresented minority groups. She has also been a member of SAEM’s Membership Committee, SAEM’s Ethics Committee and SAEM’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She is an elected 2020-2021 member-at Large of the Board of Directors of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). She is member of the National Medical Association, the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion, and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

  • Kara A. Toles, MD