Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Surgery Department is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. We diligently acknowledge and support the need to understand and overcome the challenges we face in health inequity and implicit bias. We are pursuing a strategy that involves work within the community, work within medical schools, work within our institution, and work within our department. Within this, we are developing new tools and sharpening our skill with existing tools to ensure the long-term impact of our efforts. We examine our own implicit bias by utilizing the Project Implicit-Implicit Bias Test, the UCLA Implicit Bias Video Series, the UC Implicit Bias Modules, our own EDIA Grand Rounds Lecture Series, and robust discussion within our department led by our EDIA Committee. We are also utilizing tactics found within the AAMC Holistic Review Process and partnerships within the medical and dental schools to ensure we support a diverse environment within our training programs. We understand that as an institution and community, we will need to continue to work together to address the issues that challenge equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Ryan Grier, DDS, MBA, FACD

“Like the canaries that alerted miners to a poisonous atmosphere, issues of race point to underlying problems in society that ultimately affect everyone, not just minorities. Addressing these issues is essential.”

– The Miner’s Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy

Department of Surgery EDIA Mission Statement:

The Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Department of Surgery is committed to maintaining and fostering an environment that is supportive and welcoming for people from all backgrounds. We understand the need for diversity and inclusion to maintain the health and well-being of the global communities we are privileged to serve. The Department of Surgery Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism is committed to working with other DHS committees to ensure that we continue to fight against institutional racism and systemic inequalities, and to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

Some strategies and projects we are currently focused on include:

• Methods to recruit and retain minorities underrepresented in healthcare
• Advocating for the study and understanding of historical and contemporary impacts of disparities in health inequity
• Mentorship programs within the community we serve to promote interest and provide guidance in health careers.