One year ago, the UNC Lineberger Equity Council met for the first time with the charge to direct the cancer center’s commitment to grow and sustain a more diverse and inclusive research, clinical and working environment.
The Equity Council has worked hundreds of hours in the past 12 months to assess, discuss, plan and implement a range of activities and actions designed to initiate the first phase of the cancer center’s ongoing journey to becoming more inclusive, more equitable and more diverse.
This is just the start, but there have been some notable achievements, including:
- Funding a position with the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity
- Targeted two Innovation Award RFAs on racial disparities
- Hosting UNC Lineberger’s first-ever virtual town hall event, which engaged more than 100 participants
- Sponsoring 16 hours of Racial Equity Institute training for UNC Lineberger Equity Council and UNC Lineberger leaders
- Hosting 12 listening sessions with the UNC Lineberger community
- Identifying, measuring and targeting disparity outcomes in clinical care
- Hosting two workshops about NIH Diversity Supplements for more than 70 faculty and trainees
- Developing 22 action solutions to incorporate DEI principles at UNC Lineberger
The Equity Council initiated the second phase of its work this fall, which is focused on implementing the recommendations outlined in phase one and creating metrics to assess whether the actions and efforts are effective and impactful. Ten implementation committees have been launched – engaging more than 70 people across UNC Lineberger – to bring our strategic solutions to life.
To learn more about the Equity Council and its work, please take a few minutes to watch this video and visit the cancer center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website.
Also, if you are interested in becoming involved with the Equity Council’s efforts, membership nominations will be accepted this spring.
Wendy R. Brewster, MD, PhD
Co-chair, UNC Lineberger Equity Council
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Samuel Cykert, MD
Co-chair, UNC Lineberger Equity Council
Professor of Medicine