Nola Reporter

As part of Tulane’s ongoing commitment to prioritize, as a core  value, equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university  life, including clinical training and patient care, the School of  Medicine has named Dr. Tina Simpson as its first Chief Clinical  Diversity Officer.

Simpson, who joins Tulane on Oct. 1, will work directly with  leadership within the school and with area health care partners to  ensure that they are continuously striving to build and support an  environment where patients, trainees and providers respect and value  each other. This will include leading initiatives that increase  physician workforce diversity, build safe and inclusive learning  environments and advance equity by addressing disparities in health care  that affect outcomes for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+ and  other patients from marginalized communities.

“Overcoming racial inequities in health care that result in disparate  patient outcomes for individuals who are from marginalized  communities is a core value and focus of Tulane as we strive daily to  create a community that is inclusive, welcoming and supportive of all,”  said Tulane President Michael A. Fitts.

He sent a joint message with Dean Lee Hamm to the School of Medicine community this week announcing Dr. Simpson's appointment.

Since arriving at Tulane 2014, Fitts has made creating an inclusive  university dedicated to equity, diversity, compassion, respect and  opportunity for all, a main pillar of his administration. Efforts in  this area include long-term university-wide commitments through the  numerous initiatives of the Presidential Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion;  establishing the Center for Academic Equity; more than doubling  spending on EDI programing; hiring the university’s first Chief  Diversity Officer and much more.  

Simpson is currently vice chair of faculty development in the  Department of Pediatrics and director of the Adolescent Medicine  Training Program at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of  Medicine. She is also the program director for UAB’s Ryan White-funded  clinic that provides medical and comprehensive supportive care to  children, adolescents and families living with HIV. Simpson leads  multiple equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives related to faculty  and trainee recruitment, education and technical assistance both at UAB  and nationally.

At Tulane, Simpson will work closely with Assistant Dean for Equity,  Diversity and Inclusion Bennetta Horne and Dr. Lee Hamm, Tulane senior  vice president and dean of the School of Medicine. She will help the  school recruit and promote a more diverse workforce of physicians and  staff to provide better care for the region’s diverse patient  population. She will also serve as Director of the Adolescent Medicine  Section of the Pediatrics Department 

“I am beyond excited to join Tulane School of Medicine as the Chief  Clinical Diversity Officer. This position will allow me to further my  work and commitment to fostering a more diverse and inclusive  environment for those who work in health care and to achieving more  equitable health outcomes for the community,” Simpson said.  “I look  forward to partnering with Dean Hamm and Assistant Dean Horne and being a  part of Tulane's ongoing efforts to have a health care workforce that  better reflects the diverse patient population of the Greater New  Orleans area and strengthen the workforce’s ability to deliver  culturally responsive care.”

Simpson will work with the school’s academic, graduate medical  education and residency programs to enhance cultural competency care  programs for faculty, residents and students. She will also develop or  enhance training programs for all medical students, residents and  faculty, including building patient-centered, effective communication  around equity and diversity in medical settings. 

“Dr. Tina Simpson is a proven leader in launching EDI initiatives  that foster lasting change. She understands that equitable health care  is for everyone and that creating a culture of inclusion yields better  outcomes for patients and trainees across the board,” Hamm said. “As  Chief Clinical Diversity Officer at Tulane, she will play critical role  in building a bridge between the EDI initiatives underway at the School  of Medicine and all of our clinical training sites throughout the  region.”

For over 10 years, Simpson has had an active role in equity,  diversity and inclusion efforts at UAB’s medical school. She has served  on the admissions and selection committees and as a mentor for several  pathway programs. Dr. Simpson’s leadership in diversity, equity and  inclusion efforts was recognized with the 2020 UAB Department of  Pediatrics Diversity and Inclusion Award for Senior Faculty and the 2021  UAB Presidential Diversity Champion Award.

Simpson, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, is no stranger to New  Orleans. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of New  Orleans before moving to Birmingham to complete medical school,  pediatric residency and adolescent medicine fellowship training at UAB.

Original source can be found here.