School will partner with CeDMA to meet diversity goals

Posted May 03, 2009

The School of Medicine has established a new partnership with the OHSU Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (CeDMA). The partnership is part of the ongoing process to streamline our operations and avoid overlapping services. The School of Medicine Office of Diversity will close at the end of June and we are now in the process of developing the final plan for this partnership. The Office of the Dean looks forward to student, faculty, resident and staff input. As part of this, on April 27, the Office of the Dean and CeDMA hosted a Town Hall to solicit input. Additional meetings will be held as needed.

Along with reducing costs, there are also strategic advantages to working more closely with CeDMA. CeDMA was established in 1982 and currently works to meet the University’s diversity goals for OHSU’s other schools, centers, institutes and health care system. Rather than operating an independent office within the School of Medicine with overlapping services, the School of Medicine will provide funds to CeDMA directly to leverage these established resources and programs to the specific benefit of the School of Medicine’s teaching, research, clinical and service missions. Many of our students and faculty already work closely with CeDMA.

“We are committed to supporting and increasing diversity in the School of Medicine,” said Dean Richardson at the Town Hall. “This is a key goal of OHSU’s strategic plan and an essential aspect of maintaining an intellectually vibrant community. I am confident CeDMA will help us continue to meet our goals.”

Among other accomplishments, CeDMA has a proven record in actively supporting secondary and post-secondary education through enrichment activities and programs. “We have students who started out with us in high school and now are in medical school and others who are beginning a residency program at OHSU,” said Leslie Garcia, Director of CeDMA.

CeDMA provides community outreach, enrichment programs, cultural competency, maintains literature, resources, and provides consultation related to diversity, multiculturalism and intercultural communication to the OHSU community members. As part of the partnership with the School of Medicine, CeDMA will support faculty and residency recruitment planning and programs in cooperation with School leadership.

"My team and I are looking forward to expanding our support the School of Medicine, including administration, faculty, staff, as well our medical and graduate students,” said Ms. Garcia during the informational Town Hall she organized with Associate Dean for Medical Education Tana-Grady Weliky.

For more information, to provide input, to arrange a Town Hall or other introductory meeting: please contact Leslie Garcia at CeDMA at garcial@ohsu.edu.