Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.
A diverse Geisinger family is an essential foundation for culturally competent care. The more inclusive our workforce, the better we can understand and reflect our communities, patients and members. Geisinger has long recognized the value of and - embraced - diversity. Geisinger is committed to:
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Ensuring that respect and inclusion are foundational to our policies, operations and services;
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Promoting diversity across the Geisinger family and leadership; and
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Cross-cultural training and continuous learning to help eliminate health disparities and enable the best care and care experience for every patient, every time.
Diversity encompasses much more than gender, race and ethnic background. It includes cultural beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, age, size, and physical and mental ability. It also includes social and economic status that impact health. All these factors may influence individuals’ expectations, needs and preferences for their own health practices and the care we offer.
Being inclusive, welcoming and responsive to the needs of individuals and populations is vital not only to developing and sustaining a diverse workforce across the Geisinger family, but also to providing quality, compassionate care to all members of the communities we serve.
To learn more about our DEI efforts within Graduate Medical Education, please visit:
https://www.geisinger.edu/education/residencies-fellowships/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
and follow @ghshousestaffdiversity on Instagram for more information.
There will be a Virtual Diversity Open House. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend to hear more about DEI efforts for residents and fellows at Geisinger.
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September 16, 2024
Resident and Fellow Diversity Council
Trainees at Geisinger have the opportunity to be involved directly or indirectly in the Resident and Fellow Diversity Council. Our very own alumnus, Dr. Chinma Ugorji, was the founder and president and our current PGY4, Dr. Brianna Bockman Wu continues as vice president. The council hosts a range of activities and opportunities from providing trainee representation in the drafting of institutional policies, promoting a more inclusive clinical learning environment, recruiting a more diverse Housestaff, and partnering with our affiliated medical school in their DEI efforts. For more information, email gmediversitycouncil@geisinger.edu or follow on Instagram @ghshousestaffdiversity
Virtual Diversity Open Houses
In October 2022, the Med-Peds program hosted its second Virtual Diversity Open House featuring an amazing line up of panelists (see highlights below). The event was so well attended, it was later incorporated into the GME Resident and Fellow Diversity Council and became a system-wide event starting July 2023. Virtual Diversity Open Houses are opportunities to learn more about resident and fellow specific DEI efforts, in addition to participate in an open dialogue regarding personal experiences working and training at Geisinger as a member of a minority group.
Affinity Groups
The Resident and Fellow Diversity Council houses a number of affinity groups. Affinity groups are composed of individuals of a shared identity, and serve to facilitate the building of personal and professional communities. Currently we have 7 active affinity groups including: LGBTQ+ AG, Black AG, Women in Medicine AG, Hispanic AG, Asian American & Pacific Islander AG, Muslim AG, and J1 Visa Physicians AG. The Diversity Council also has a Vice President of Graduate Medical Education Level that is responsible for supporting trainees interested in creation of a new affinity group. As a demonstration of their support, the Graduate Medical Education office has allotted funds dedicated to the support of these affinity groups annually!
DEI Education Grant
Geisinger is one of 20 institutes nationwide that received the Building Trust and Equity in Internal Medicine Training grant to improve the quality of its Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Training programs. The grant was awarded by leading internal medicine organizations including the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, the American College of Physicians, and the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The purpose of the grant is to sponsor projects lead by faculty involved in internal medicine education that work to incorporate DEI into the foundation of their training. Headed by our very own program director, Dr. Thomas W. Davis, this grant will be used to create a unique DEI curriculum that will be incorporated into the curricula of both Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine-Pediatrics programs. The curriculum is designed to give residents a view of the current state of DEI in medicine from a national perspective, as well as a chance to review their own current practices when serving the local Geisinger Community using Geisinger-specific data, so that they may graduate with the skills necessary to care for all patient populations.
Pronouns Matter
Diversity and inclusion goes beyond including people who may be different in some way. It’s an opportunity to celebrate how each of our differences and perspectives are valuable, making us stronger as a team and a community. We wear our gender pronoun buttons to show that we welcome and are actively working to create an inclusive environment for those who may be misgendered or given the wrong pronouns because of how they look or present. By wearing these buttons, we hope to remind those we work with and those that we serve that we see you and we welcome you!
