Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Tufts, our DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) program is designed to create and train culturally competent and socially responsible community of healthcare professionals. Our goal is to ensure that our residents are well-prepared to provide exceptional care to patients from all walks of life and embody the values of compassion, collaboration, excellence, accountability, respect, and trust.
We believe that embracing diversity and promoting equity and inclusion not only enhances the quality of our training program but also empowers our residents to become compassionate, culturally competent, and socially conscious physicians.
What does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mean to us in the Department of Medicine?
Diversity: Encompasses all the ways in which individuals differ, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and physical abilities. Embracing diversity brings together unique perspectives, experiences, and talents, enriching our learning environment and patient care.
Equity: Involves recognizing and addressing the unequal access and opportunities that our patients may face due to systemic and societal barriers.
Inclusion: Fostering an environment where our patients and community feel welcomed, heard, valued, and respected. We aim to cultivate a culture that actively seeks and appreciates different perspectives, allowing everyone to learn from each other.
How are residents trained in DEI?
- Curriculum Integration: DEI principles are integrated throughout our residency curriculum. We have developed specialized sessions that address topics to help residents recognize and mitigate biases, communicate effectively with diverse patient populations, and deliver equitable care. These sessions include:
- Noon conference lectures on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, including LGBTQ Care, Microaggressions, Trauma Informed Care, and Mistreatment of trainees. Topics this upcoming year will also include health disparities and health policy, food insecurity, and health literacy.
- A two-week elective in Health Advocacy and Health Disparities, consisting of didactics, workshops, letter writing, and participating in a health advocacy day at the State Capital.
- Bias Reduction in Medicine Training workshops.
- DEI Committee: Residents can participate in a hospital-wide dedicated DEI Committee comprising faculty, residents, fellows, nurses, and other ancillary staff members. The committee regularly reviews and enhances our DEI initiatives, ensuring that we remain committed to our goals of fostering an inclusive and equitable patient-care environment.
- LGBTQ House Staff Committee: Our residents are currently spearheading the creation of a house staff committee with the goal of fostering a community where residents can have additional community inside and outside of the hospital. The committee aims to address the specific needs and challenges faced by LGBTQ residents, fostering a sense of belonging, and advocating for positive changes within the residency program and the larger healthcare system.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Meeting the Needs of Our Patients
Tufts Medical Center is located in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown – a culturally, historically and linguistically vibrant community. We have a long, rich history of serving the region’s residents who are most in need, dating back to the founding of the Boston Dispensary in 1796. We are committed and uniquely positioned to provide the culturally and linguistically appropriate services to best serve our diverse patient population.
Asian Community Health Focus – meeting the health needs of the surrounding community with healthcare professionals who speak Asian languages
LQBTQ+ Health – providing both routine and sub-specialized services to the LGBTQ community
Interpreter Service Language Demographics at Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medicine Network - Patient Demographics
