Welcome All!
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is poised to play a leading role in ensuring health equity is a priority among the populations they serve, the profession, and the healthcare field.
On July 1, 2023, the Joint Commission announced a new National Patient Safety Goal - National Patient Safety Goal to Improve Health Care Equity.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Strategic Plan lists Health Equity as its first pillar. CMS defines health equity as the attainment of the highest level of health for all people, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, and other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.
Ensuring health equity, belonging, excellence & engagement requires all of us actively be aware of our thoughts and examine our beliefs to identify biases/stereotypes we have and to explore how we:
- Develop educational curriculums and content,
- Teach students and trainees,
- Mentor and Sponsor individuals,
- Recruit and retain employees,
- Develop policies (e.g., human resources),
- Prioritize research initiatives and funding allocations (e.g., identify medically underserved populations),
- Practice medicine (i.e., provide differential test interpretation for patients using social constructs, employ testing workflows and methods [point of care testing]),
- Deliver care (e.g., test menus that meet the needs of the communities we serve, reference interval establishment, create a non-toxic environment)
The Department of Pathology joins the educational community, including other departments in the School of Medicine, and The University of Pittsburgh and the Faculty Diversity and Development office within the Office of the Provost led by Vice Provost Dr. John Wallace in its strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion to “fostering an inclusive and diverse community” that “is vital as we aim for excellence in teaching, discovery,” and our profession
- Are you aware of the clinical and social demographics of the community you serve?
- How have you designed your clinical research studies?
The Department of Pathology is creating a 15-person Health Equity working group. The group will be composed of faculty, staff, and trainee members that will serve for either a 1 or 2-years.
Are you interested in operationalizing the Health Equity, Belonging, Excellence & Engagement initiatives in our department with the goal of achieving health equity for the communities we serve? If the answer is yes, complete the form by clicking the link. Contact Dr. Peck Palmer (palmerom@upmc.edu) if you have any questions.
Follow the link for a list of journal articles and other resources addressing Health Equity, Belonging, Excellence & Engagement.
Follow the link for an up-to-date list of research funding opportunities.
Do you have materials you would like to share with the department? Send Health Equity, Belonging, Excellence & Engagement initiatives, publications, and announcements to the address below! We'll review and add to our webpage.
Octavia M. Peck Palmer, Ph.D., FAACC
Vice Chair of Health Equity, Belonging, Excellence, & Engagement
Associate Professor of Pathology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Division Director, Clinical Chemistry
UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital
palmerom@upmc.edu
412-647-3981