Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
“People who say it can’t be done should get out of the way,” Harriet A. Washington about achieving true health equity.
Mission Statement
We believe in a social justice framework that values the contributions of people from diverse backgrounds. We welcome and support those who have faced barriers to practicing medicine, specifically, those who identify as minorities, whether defined on the basis of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, first-generation in higher education, or otherwise. We also recognize that “diversity” can be a very broad term, therefore, we also serve as a support system for any allies/advocates/accomplices, parents, those of you who may be financially supporting family back home, etc. We are committed to creating resident classes that are more reflective of our diverse and largely minority patient population, as we believe that this is essential for addressing the healthcare disparities facing the patients we serve.
Subsidized Visiting Elective Program
We love having student rotators from all different places. However, we understand that rotating at BMC can come with its own financial burden. In an attempt to help offset this cost, we offer a Subsidized Visiting Elective Program for medical students from ethnicities that are underrepresented in medicine. Please reach out to JEDI and/or our Chiefs if you are having difficulty finding housing! Subsidized Visiting Elective Program.
Our Patients
Unwavering in its commitment to serve the community, Boston Medical Center ED strives to achieve health equity and racial and social justice. Approximately 73% of our patient visits come from underserved populations, such as the low-income and elderly, who rely on government payors such as Medicaid, the Health Safety Net, and Medicare for their coverage; 32% do not speak English as a primary language; more than 50% have an annual household income under $20,400.
Race/Ethnicity:
- American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3%
- Asian 5.2%
- Black/African American 32.1%
- Hispanic/Latino 15.2%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.2%
- White/Caucasian 24.8%
- Other 22.1%
Our Community
Boston Demographics: 2022 Census
- Black or African American: 23.5%
- Hispanic or Latino of any race: 19.8%
- Native American: 0.3%
- Asian: 9.7%
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
- Two or more: 9.6%Source: Census.gov
(NYC for comparison: 25.1% black, Hispanics of any race 27.5%, 11.8% are of Asian descent)
Our Clinical Resources
Boston Medical Center was named the fourth-most socially responsible hospital in the United States, according to a new study, and was also named the hospital with the most burden from COVID-19 in Boston. We have been working for years to make more resources accessible to our patient population from within the walls of the emergency department.
- Project Assert
- Violence Intervention Advocacy Program
- Social Work
- Interpreter Services
- Faster Paths
- THRIVE Social Determinant of Health Screening
- Many ongoing public health research projects
Our Residents
The JEDI Committee originated in 2016, as a resident-driven group aimed towards organizing strategies to tackle areas for growth and improvement related to diversity and equity that we identified within our department. At the time of inception, only 10% of our residents self-identified as coming from communities of underrepresented minorities. As we approach our 7th year, we have grown to approximately 35% of residents identifying as traditionally under-represented in medicine, and 62% of our residents being women.
“A Globe survey of 12 Boston hospitals found that only BMC and Carney match or exceed the national average.” – Boston Globe, 12/2017
Our Work
Social EM and Health Equity within the Curriculum:
We work closely with our education faculty to ensure that we take a holistic approach to the teaching and practice of delivering clinically excellent equitable care to each of our patients. We do not feel that siloing this material into individual lectures is enough. As such, we have developed a longitudinal health equity curriculum consisting of:
- Intern orientation community tour
- Health equity content built into every conference lecture
- Dedicated health equity journal club
- Social determinants of health monthly infographics series
- Core lectures interspersed throughout the weekly conference schedule repeating every 2 years
Recruitment:
- Implemented holistic application review
- JEDI & Recruitment Committee
- JEDI & URiM student rotator opt-in mentorship pairing
Events:
We host multiple events throughout the year for our residents and faculty to get together outside of the clinical environment and embrace all of the diverse and unique identities we hold.
Most notably, we host two annual Diversity Dinners that happen at the end of interview season. These dinners are open to our applicants and aim to provide a glimpse into how we at BMC EM embrace diversity within our program and within our greater Boston community. We encourage applicants who identify as any of the minorities mentioned above to attend one of these events. All members of our community and all applicants who are moved to learn more and participate in our efforts are also invited to join us at this event.
If you have any questions regarding any JEDI events, please don’t hesitate to reach out to bmcjedi@gmail.com!
Recent Publications and Current Events
Articles:
- EQTY 2023 Summit Will Convene Health Justice Leaders Who Are Sparking Innovation
- “Reject Futility”: BMCHS’s Health Justice Summit Opens With a Potent Message of Hope
- Boston Medical Center named among most socially responsible hospitals in the US
- Boston Medical Center Convenes Inaugural Leaders of Essential Emergency Departments National Conference to Spur Innovation Amid Historic Challenges to Healthcare
- Introducing: Nubian Markets
What are national Emergency Medicine advocacy organizations doing about diversity and inclusion?
- Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
- Emergency Medicine Residency Association
- American College of Emergency Physicians
- American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association