Members & Faculty Advisory Group
DIVERSE Council Members
"I joined the DIVERSE Taskforce because I want all people in our UNMC residency and UNMC community to know they belong here. I think we all have a responsibility to work toward this goal and I see this taskforce as the perfect avenue to do that."
![Dr. Debra Wekesa](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/wekesa.jpg)
"I joined the DIVERSE taskforce, because I wanted to work alongside colleagues challenging systemic and societal factors that impact the accessibility and quality of medical care. My passions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across the UNMC community are greatly fostered by the objectives and goals of the DIVERSE Taskforce."
![Rajan Mediratta](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/mediratta1.jpg)
"I joined the DIVERSE taskforce to ensure all those in healthcare, both providers and patients, feel like they belong. Throughout my time in medicine it is quite apparent the impact healthcare disparities have. I think we all have a role in improving diversity, equity, and inclusion for all. "
![Noel Bruner](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/bruner.jpg)
"I was interested in joining the members of the DIVERSE Taskforce because I wanted to be part of group that worked toward diversifying our staff and future generations of physicians here on UNMC’s campus. I believe that as medical providers, we should be open to working and learning with people from various backgrounds to not only increase our own social awareness but also provide a reflection of the community that we are working in. By creating a diverse community here, we will be better able to serve our patients while also working to reduce inequities that exist in medicine."
![Eshan Sood](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/sood2.png)
"My passion for medicine started with focusing on rural and underserved health, specifically partnering with refuguee, immigrant, and LGBTQIA populations. The taskforce addresses underlying issues to better the health for our communities so I knew I had to join."
![Natasha Gallett](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/gallett1.jpg)
"I believe providing extraordinary care begins with understanding social determinants of heath in our community and providing actionable solutions. I joined the DIVERSE task force to help identify the everyday barriers to health and how to best deliver solutions to the underserved in Omaha."
![Rees Adomako](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/adomako.jpg)
"I joined the DIVERSE taskforce because I want UNMC and its Internal Medicine residency program to become their best versions, and I think that improving our diversity is a necessary component of that goal. Educational opportunities and the health and safety that financial security afford are not equally distributed across race, gender, or other axes of marginalization in this country; however, human talent is. If we can name and bring our biases to heel, choose to seek out the most talented of our young colleagues, then we can build a program that is the envy of the nation."
![Nico Cortes-Penfield](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/cortespenfield.jpeg)
"I joined this taskforce because of the clear importance of diversity in providing the best possible care to our patients, along with the value that diversity in medicine contributes to society more broadly. I also believe that change in this area does not happen passively, and that it is all of our responsibility to contribute towards this goal."
![Steve Ebers](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/ebers1.jpg)
"As the first generation in my family to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and pursue a professional career, I can relate to the challenges that are faced by students with economic disparities. I didn’t have health care workers in my family for mentorship or advice. My first majors in college were elementary education and social work because I did not think medicine was an obtainable career for me. Talent, intellect, humanism, and empathy cross all racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic boundaries, but sometimes that is less apparent because of the barriers we face. I am committed to seeking out, recruiting, and supporting the most talented and diverse students in medicine to Nebraska. Patients deserve to have doctors that are like them. I want to send a message – we want you here, we support you, we ask that you join in our mission."
![Chelsea Navarrette](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/diverse/navarette.jpeg)
Assistant Professor
Chief Resident
![Dr. Alex Sorrick](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/sorrick.jpg)
House Officer II
![Dr. Jonny Trinh](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/trinh.jpg)
House Officer II
![Dr.Nosa Edogun](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/edogun.jpg)
House Officer I
![Dr. Garima Bhandari](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/bhandari.jpg)
House Officer I
![Dr. Sandra Frimpong](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/frimpong.jpg)
House Officer I
![Dr. Chydubem Nwaiwu](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/education/residency/houseofficers/nwaiwu.jpg)
Vice Chair, Equity and Inclusive Excellence
Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases
Associate Medical Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
402-559-8650
402-559-5581
![Jasmine Marcelin](https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_images/id/faculty/marcelin.jpg)
Faculty Advisory Group
- Dr. Justin Birge (Hospital Medicine)
- Dr. Bronwyn Small (Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine)
- Dr. Sehr Haroon (Hospital Medicine)
- Dr. Ward Chambers (Cardiovascular Medicine)
- Dr. Nada Fadul (Infectious Diseases)
- Dr. Sara Bares (Infectious Diseases)
- Dr. Marco Olivera (Gastroenterology & Hepatology)
- Dr. Mahliqha Qasimyar (Hospital Medicine)