Diversity

UW Rheumatology Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Guided by the UW Rheumatology Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, the Division of Rheumatology furthers the UW-DOM’s EDI mission through leadership, education and policy, outreach and recruitment, health equity work, and partnerships with aligned groups across the University of Washington and in the community.

Committee members: 

• Grant Hughes (Chair)
• Tomas Mustelin
• Tiffany Wallace
• Bobby Han
• Bernard Ng
• Katie Wysham
• Jenna Thomason
• Danielle Matusalem

Local and National EDI Leadership

Grant Hughes, MD 

Fellowship Program Director

Interim co-chair, UW Rheumatology EDI Committee; UW-DOM EDI Strategic Plan Workgroup; Arthritis Foundation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and Workforce Development Planning Group

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Bryanna Mantilla, MD, PhD, MPH (they/them)

Fellow

Arthritis Foundation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit Planning Committee.

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Tomas Mustelin, MD, PhD

Head, Division of Rheumatology

UW Rheumatology EDI Committee

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Katherine Wysham, MD

Acting Assistant Professor

UW-DOM Gender Equity Council

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Education and Training

The Division devotes significant effort to educating its members on racism in medicine, implicit bias, microaggressions, gender equity, and gender identity. Faculty members participate in the Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine (BRIM) Program, and all staff and faculty who are involved in fellow selection receive rigorous anti-bias training. Health equity learning is incorporated into clinical didactic sessions and clinical learning objectives.   

Outreach and Recruitment

UW Rheumatology fellows come from diverse backgrounds. Since 2016, more than one in five of our Program’s fellows has identified as underrepresented in medicine (URM). The Program maintains educational outreach programs with Morehouse Medical School and Xavier University, and we participate in the UW Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (UW-NURF) national outreach programs. We are deeply involved in the Visiting Scholars Program (VSP), a funded program designed to give medical students from diverse backgrounds a chance to experience the training that the Division of Rheumatology and the Department of Medicine have to offer. 

“I was fortunate to be able to participate in the UW Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) as a fourth-year medical student. I was impressed by the collegial atmosphere, the quality of the clinical education, and the excellent humanistic patient-centered care. As a UW Rheumatology fellow, I am impressed with how our division continues to grow and honor the mission of DEI by supporting clinical research, encouraging ongoing education, and promoting the development and advancement of diverse clinicians at both the institutional level and the national level.”

--Bryanna Mantilla, UW Rheumatology Fellow

Health Equity Research

Confronting Racism 

Division of Rheumatology commitment to combating endemic racism

Dr. Keith Elkon, professor, Mart Mannik, MD-Lucile T. Henderson Endowed Professor in Rheumatology and former Rheumatology Division Head, has outlined our Division and institutional commitment to combatting endemic racism at all levels and promoting diversity at UW.

RESOURCES

READ UW PRESIDENT'S BLOG ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce blog post, "We need reasoned debate on affirmative action, not mockery" regarding affirmative action and if, where and how it should be practiced.

SCHOLARSHIPS & RESOURCES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS

STEPS (Student Training & Education in Public Service) provides information on scholarship opportunities for students of various backgrounds, along with a set of valuable academic and career resources to further help minority students throughout their college journey.