Culture and engagement
The Department of Surgery diversity, equity and inclusion committee is dedicated to advancing the programs, care and culture of UNMC through a process model focused on workforce development, patient experience, community engagement and advocacy. We are committed to reducing disparities in health care equity and addressing the gaps in surgical care access starting with community-hospital partnership and internal education.
Quan Ly, MD
Quan Ly, MD, serves as the vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion for the department and heads a departmental committee with her administrative partner, Kim McLaughlin. Their committee consists of volunteers from across the department.
This committee works within an iterative, responsive model created with the assumption that team perspectives will evolve through ongoing learning, discussion, and reflection throughout this process. These process models outline steps in the initial examination to establish awareness of implementation gaps in inclusion and belonging in the department.
Process Models
Workforce: Identify societal constructs and institutional norms that perpetuate discrepancies in professional opportunities in the surgical field and determine to what extent we can make an impact
Patient Experience: Acknowledge that patients experience health care differently (specifically in access, availability and utilization of care) and identify how to meet the unique needs of patient populations
Community Engagement: Pursue partnerships with community members to identify gaps in education, policy and care; determine the points of collaboration among our team and community partners
The diversity, equity and inclusion committee works in conjunction with UNMC and the Department of Surgery to create an environment of inclusion and belonging for all our faculty, staff and students. Our goal is a welcoming organization where every individual feels valued.