Diversity and Equity Leadership

School of Medicine diversity statement

We believe that a diverse community of faculty, students, and staff immeasurably enriches our learning environment. It helps us move closer to a future in which our community of health care providers mirrors the diversity of our patients.

We consider a wide range of life experiences as part of diversity, including rural heritage, economic background, sexual orientation, culture and belief systems, and hardships accessing educational opportunities.

We also are committed to increasing diversity among our faculty ranks because creativity and innovation flourish when you bring people together with a wide variety of backgrounds and ideas.

We strive to be an organization diverse in people and ideas.

Accreditation Standards

We are committed to meeting all Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) diversity requirements and adhering to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (AACGME) guidelines.

As a medical school, we have policies and practices in place that support diversity in all our mission areas of teaching, healing and discovery. We engage in systematic recruitment and retention activities and our departments utilize the Diversity Recruitment Manual. We aim to achieve diversity outcomes among our academic community through the use of supported programs and partnerships. We not only seek qualified and diverse applicants for medical school admission, but we also appoint diverse staff in the evaluation of program and partnership outcomes.

School of Medicine Diversity leaders

George Mejicano, M.D., M.S., Chair of SOM Diversity Action Plan Committee

Leslie Garcia, M.P.A., Assistant Dean Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Erik Brodt, M.D., Director, OHSU Northwest Native American Center of Excellence

Anthony Cheng, M.D. Diversity Navigator

Donn Spight, M.D. Diversity Navigator

Christina Milano, M.D., Medical Director, Transgender Health Program

Amy Penkin, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., Program Supervisor, Transgender Health Program

Mina Nguyen-Driver, Psy. D., Chair of OHSU School of Medicine Diversity Affairs Committee

Paul Spellman, Ph.D., Vice Chair of OHSU School of Medicine Diversity Affairs Committe

Erica Hankins Regalo, M.S., Director of Physician Assistant Admissions and Recruitment

Maya Severson, Director, GME Operations

Jamil Kendall, M.D., House officer, Co-Chair, ACGME Resident and Fellow Diversity Committee (ARFDC)

Gianna Ramos, House officer, Co-Chair, ACGME Resident and Fellow Diversity Committee (ARFDC)

Get Involved

Leadership opportunities for School of Medicine faculty, staff and learners. The basis of these efforts is a renewed focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism. The workgroups consist of faculty, administrators, staff, post-docs, residents, and students

The SoM Diversity Action Planning Taskforce is now revising the Diversity Action Plan for the SoM.

Contact: Dr. George Mejicano

The SOM Diversity Affairs Committee oversees the continuous implementation and evaluation of the SoM Diversity Action Plan. The group provides feedback to the SOM’s departments, centers, and institutes in four main domains: recruitment, retention, a climate of inclusion, and partnerships. Members

Contacts: Dr. Mina Nguyen-Driver, Dr. George Mejicano, and Leslie Garcia.