Addressing Health Care Inequities Through Increased Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Anesthesiology Programs

The term “diversity and inclusion” is readily seen in many of today’s headlines. It is most often associated with discussions regarding the small number of women and minorities in business and leadership positions. In turn, these discussions have lead to the adoption of the term “cognitive diversity” and the emphasis on the creation of a diverse workforce that focuses on “representation, demographics, and equality but [also] the creation of an environment that respects identities and places greater emphasis on unique experiences, ideas, opinions and thoughts.”¹  Large companies have been held to task for their lack of diversity at both leadership and non-leadership levels. Consequently, they have voluntarily examined internal policies and adopted measures to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Their actions beg the question of what role the academic anesthesia community can play in increasing diversity and inclusion in health care. Furthermore, is there a business case...