Dean's Corner

Kelsey Martin, MD, PhD, Dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Acknowledging and confronting racism

Dear DGSOM Community,

We share this message to acknowledge the fear, pain, frustration, and anger caused by the blatant acts of racism happening in our country, especially in light of George Floyd’s tragic death this week in Minneapolis. This act of violence was the most recently publicized, but it was not an aberration. In the last few months alone, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are among other unnamed victims as these horrific acts increase in frequency. Yet we also recognize that these acts result from a long history of institutionalized racism in our country that also leads to disparities in health and healthcare.

Many in our community are suffering the heavy burden that includes physical, emotional and mental tolls. However, this cannot and should not be a burden that is carried alone or without significant response. Each and every member of the DGSOM community has the responsibility to respond and support each other.

We want to create a space intentionally designed to connect, to heal, to plan the next steps of action and advocacy for our community. The DGSOM Office of Equity and Diversity Inclusion plans to host, together with other DGSOM leaders, multiple virtual events in order to begin dialogue for students, residents, fellows, staff, and faculty. We will be partnering with the other four health sciences schools to hold a larger “South Campus” gathering.

As a community dedicated to healing humanity, we must also commit ourselves to illuminating the injustices that create inequity. Racism is a root cause of disparate outcomes in longevity and wellbeing. We have known this for years, but the racism and xenophobia exacerbated by the pandemic make it critical for us to explicitly denounce it. Although powerful, we understand that far more than words are needed. Starting Monday, June 1st, a series of emails will be sent that provide additional details for upcoming events and opportunities.

With your input we can take actions to advance our advocacy and efforts in confronting racism and sustain our commitment to achieving health equity. Please reach out to us with thoughts and ideas. We are available.

Sincerely,

Resources for Engaging in Anti-Racism Work and Practicing Solidarity

• Resources for Engaging in Anti-Racism Work
• We are Living in a Racist Pandemic
• Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay – Chances are They’re Not
• Affirming Black Lives Without Inducing Trauma

Resources for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) to Engage in Self-Care

• Surviving & Resisting Hate: A Toolkit for People of Color
• Self-Care Tips for Black People Who Are Struggling with this Very Painful Week
• Self-Care for People of Color after Psychological Trauma
• DGSOM-EDI Concerns about Bias and Prejudice during the Covid-19 Pandemic

2019 Annual Dean's Report

VIEW FULL REPORT

Overarching Goals

Looking ahead, I remain focused on six overarching goals, which you will find highlighted throughout this report:

1. Ensuring that academic medicine continues to thrive at UCLA as we face an evolving balance between today’s health care environment and the world of academic biomedical research and education.
2. Fostering interdisciplinary efforts, particularly activities that bridge clinical medicine with academic scholarship in the basic sciences, social sciences, data sciences and engineering, and efforts that benefit our local, national and global communities.
3. Increasing the financial transparency and health of the school by establishing a modern funds flow model for UCLA Health (UCLA health system and the DGSOM).
4. Transforming our culture at the DGSOM through the Cultural North Star, a shared framework that articulates our values and serves as a guide for the work we do and the way that we interact with one another to ensure that everyone in the DGSOM community feels welcome and valued.
5. Enhancing our mentorship and leadership training programs in a manner that promotes diversity inclusion and provides growth opportunities for all DGSOM employees.
6. Elevating the school’s internal and external communications.