Hematology & Oncology Equity and Belonging
Hematology and Medical Oncology Diversity Statement
“We are a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, researchers, students and staff from different countries and various regions of the U.S. The culture of our Section is defined by the unique perspectives that we each bring with us. As both a large academic medical center and safety-net hospital serving the communities of Boston and its surroundings, our trainees engage in cutting edge research and gain real-world clinical experience by caring for local underserved populations. Our multilingual team is committed to promoting cultural competency, equity and inclusion in science, medicine and healthcare. We strive to maintain a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve, and aim to create a safe space for our members to learn, grow and succeed in their life goals. Acknowledging that we all have a role to play, we are dedicated to welcoming and celebrating individuals of all races, ethnicities, social backgrounds, religion, gender, sex, age, ability, sexual orientation, veteran status, and national origin. Join us in our endeavor to provide transformative care and expert training, while pursuing innovative research for cancer and hematologic diseases.“
Media Interviews with our Committee Chair and Section Chief
Meet Our Committee Members
Committee Chair and Racial Equity Champion
Laura Lowery, PhD – Associate Professor, Hematology/Oncology Research Faculty
Committee Members
Inel Ferrara – Project Manager & Fellowship Administrator, Hematology/Oncology
Natasha Gross-Jean, RN – Registered Nurse, Hematology/Oncology
Elliott Hagedorn, PhD – Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology Research Faculty
Casaundra Knight – Administrative Director, Hematology/Oncology
Alyssa Georgantas– Operations Director, Cancer Care
Lara Hollands – Project Manager, Cancer Care
Burcu Erodgan, PhD – Postdoctoral Associate, Hematology/Oncology
Zewde Ingram, PhD – Student, Hematology/Oncology
Matthew Kulke, MD – Zoltan Kohn Professor, Section Chief, Hematology/Oncology
George Murphy, PhD – Associate Professor, Hematology/Oncology Research Faculty
Shuaiying Cui, PhD – Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology Research Faculty
Gwen Beacham, PhD – Postdoctoral Researcher, Hematology/Oncology
Chiedza Sibanda – Research Assistant, Hematology/Oncology
Hajar Benmhammed, PhD – Postdoctoral Associate, Hematology/Oncology
Latoya Murrell – Office Manager, Hematology/Oncology
Humu Marah – Operations Manager, Hematology/Oncology
Maya Srinivasan, MD – Third Year Fellow, Hematology/Oncology
Katharine Alger – Senior Administrative Coordinator, Hematology/Oncology
A Statement from our Committee Chair & Racial Equity Champion
A Statement from our Committee Chair and Racial Equity Champion:
“The Hematology and Medical Oncology Anti-Racism Steering Committee was formed in December 2020 to promote an actively anti-racist, inclusive, and diverse community for our section. With members from our faculty, staff, and administration, we meet monthly to engage in dialogue and implement initiatives to improve our section. We have organized educational and training activities for our section (for example, microaggression bystander training), created a new diversity statement, used climate surveys and outreach to determine the issues that affect our section, and are working towards taking other concrete measures to create a more supportive, respectful, and diverse environment for everyone.”
Section Initiatives
Development and Implementation of a Section Climate Survey
This survey was designed to assess members of the Hematology/Oncology Section’s feelings and perspectives about our work environment. We use the responses as an indicator of issues and areas needing greater attention. From these responses we will create goal-oriented objectives to better improve our section.
Improvement to the Section’s Website and Clinic Signage
We have begun updating our Section’s website to reflect our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. We have added and will continue to update our website with our ongoing Inclusion and Anti-Racism Efforts. Furthermore, we have also posted signage within our clinics in an effort to show our patients that we are dedicated to cultural competency and that we strive to maintain a workforce that is as diverse as the communities we serve.
Participation in BUMG-wide Initiatives
Our Section has partnered with BUMG to participate in the Commitment to Operationalize Racial Equity (CORE) initiative. The goal of the CORE initiative is for departments to self-examine and identify opportunities for growth with a commitment to action. Each department across BUMG creates a Racial Equity team, assesses the issues, and then creates strategic goals for their section. Our aim is to prioritize, operationalize, and sustain racial equity. Dr. Laura Lowery was named as our section’s Racial Equity Champion. Taking her passion for diversity, inclusion and the opportunity for self-improvement, Dr. Lowery quickly assembled a committee to start addressing the needs and concerns within our Section.
CORE Goals:
- Obtain, monitor, and share racial equity data for the entire section – To aid in improving diversity and equity in section over time.
- Organize monthly anti-racism educational opportunities for section – To promote an actively anti-racist and inclusive culture for our section.
- Community outreach – To play our part to increase the diversity in the future candidate pool.
Online Communication Resource
Online Communication Resource
We have implemented an anonymous online reporting system. Our hope is that members of our section will feel comfortable reporting any instances of bias/racism/microaggression. The responses will be monitored by our Sub-Committee Laura Lowery, Casaundra Knight, and Nellie Ferrara. Based on the reporters request, the members may present the results to the rest of the committee to decide possible next steps if necessary. These reports will remain anonymous unless otherwise requested.
Click here to file an anonymous report
Past Monthly Training Sessions
Past Monthly Training Sessions
In an effort to continuously improve ourselves as well as the culture of our section, we hold monthly sessions and seminars related to Diversity and Anti-Racism. Some of our past trainings and seminars include:
- Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine Training
The BRIM Initiative helps to identify cultural stereotypes that can influence judgements, decision-making, and behaviors in unwanted and unintended ways. This training offers the opportunity to help our faculty members “break the bias habit” and align their judgements and behaviors with their explicit commitments to be fair and objective.
- Bystander Intervention Training
LIFT Bystander Intervention Training is designed to prevent and mitigate microaggressions on campus. LIFT is a workshop designed by BUMC Faculty in the Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Program to give faculty the skills to identify and respond to microaggressions in the workplace. The workshop utilizes vignettes of actual microaggressions experienced by BUMC faculty to facilitate dialogue and build skills for responding. This workshop provides an easy framework for responding to microaggressions utilizing the acronym LIFT, which stands for Lights on, Impact vs. intent, Full stop, disarm, and Teach and talk.
- April 22, 2021 – Guest Speaker Workshop: Dr. John Polk, Associate Dean of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs at Boston University School of Medicine
In Part I of this workshop, Dr. Polk focused on “Working in Diverse Workplace Environments” which centered on using mindfulness and impactful thinking to make a positive difference in our workplace culture.
- June 10, 2021 – Guest Speaker Workshop: Dr. John Polk, Associate Dean of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs at Boston University School of Medicine
- July 22, 2021 – Guest Speaker Workshop: Dr. John Polk, Associate Dean of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs at Boston University School of Medicine Listen to Part III here
- September and October 2021 – Kurt Faustin, Success Strategist | Entrepreneur | Stress Management Coach
- September 17 – 3:00-4:00pm: Part I will be for the Hematology/Oncology section Staff only
- September 24 – 3:00-4:00pm: Part II will be for the Hematology/Oncology section Clinical and Research Faculty only
- October 15 – 3:00-4:00pm: Part III will be for the entire Hematology/Oncology section (Faculty and Staff)
- October 28, 2021 – Section Demographics and Clinician Vitality Discussion
Associate Professor and Racial Equity Champion, Dr. Laura Lowery, moderated a discussion for Clinical Faculty on how we as a section can work together to reduce Burnout and increase Professional Fulfillment.
- November 2021 Section Meeting – Presentation on The Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present.
- January 18, 2022 – Hematology & Medical Oncology Anti-Racism Committee presentation to Boston University Medical Group Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council
- February 2022 Section Meeting – Presentation on our section’s progress towards the Commitment to Operationalize Racial Equity goals and How To Be An Ally
- March 10, 2022 – Microaggression Bystander Training Refresher Course for faculty
- May 12, 2022 – Anti-Racism discussion session for the section
- September 22, 2022 – Anti-Asian Racism Session
- January 27, 2023 – LGBTQ Session
- March 9, 2023 – Anti-Black/Brown Racism Session
- June 16, 2023 – LIFT 2.0
- September 21, 2023 – Discussion on the Anti-DEI Backlash
- January 26, 2024 – Interracial Trist Factors for Mentoring Relationships presented by Eric M. Brown, PhD, M.Div, LPC | Counselor Educator, Mental Health Counselor, and Researcher | Assistant Professor of Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine
- March 14, 2024 – Roadmap to Im/Migrant Health: Promoting Health & Equity presented by Sarah Kimball, MD | Co-Director of the BMC Immigrant & Refugee Health Center | Assistant Professor of Medicine
- June 13, 2024 – Book Discussion – Legacy: A black physician reckons with racism in medicine
- October 31, 2024 – Implicit Bias Workshop Series I with Susan Naimark
- November 14, 2024 – Implicit Bias Workshop Series II with Susan Naimark
Upcoming Events and Workshops
- Date TBD – Cancer Center Grand Rounds | Understanding and Addressing the DEI Backlash by Laura Lowery, PhD
- March 13, 2025 – Gender Sensitivity Training | 12:00pm-1:00pm
- May 13, 2025 – Book Review Discussion | How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks | 12:00pm-1:00pm
To Learn More about Anti-Racism
This 21 Days document provides an opportunity for you to engage directly in texts and multi-media focused on systemic and structural racism each day, for 21 days. The initiative was inspired by the “21 Day Racial Equity Challenge” developed by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., but was designed for members of the Boston University community looking for more structured learning around anti-racism.
21 Days towards Unlearning Racism and Learning Anti-Racism – 2021