Richie Hunter

The Michigan Medicine DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, launched in Fall 2023, serves as a roadmap for achieving structural change for equity from 2023 to 2028. It is designed to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus community by aligning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts with comprehensive Health Equity goals. The plan builds upon previous DEI achievements and is structured around three core objectives: People (recruiting, retaining, and developing diverse community), Process (creating inclusive and equitable policies, practices, and procedures), and Products (supporting innovative and inclusive teaching, scholarship, research, and service). It integrates the American Hospital Association's Health Equity Road Map, focusing on six levers of transformation including culturally appropriate patient care, equitable organizational policies, data-driven action, community collaboration, diverse representation and leadership, and civic and shared accountability. Key priorities derived from community feedback include managing burnout and fatigue, fostering inclusive communications, equipping managers and leaders, and transforming systems to promote broad institutional access and a cultural shift towards equity.

The meeting focused on strategies to incorporate a disability health clinic into family medicine and primary care. Key discussion topics included the expansion of the disability health elective from two to four weeks, the selection process for summer interns, and initiatives for coordinating multidisciplinary care. The group discussed common barriers to primary care, such as transportation, communication challenges, insurance coverage, and physical infrastructure. Proposed solutions included utilizing social work for support, implementing telehealth, using transparent masks and captioning for better communication, and establishing dedicated, longitudinal training for medical staff. The participants also reviewed current disability care programs and the importance of proactive screening for patient accommodations.

The monthly meeting featured an update on the Disability Scholarship Initiative project at Michigan Medicine, highlighting survey completion and plans for subsequent interventions, including accessible resource sharing, workshops, and a mentor-mentee matching service. Additionally, the leadership discussed the 2026 meeting schedule and upcoming internship application timelines. A presentation was delivered by Dr. Johnson Hooper regarding healthcare access barriers for individuals with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities, with a focus on the new Generational Resilience Opportunity and Wellness Center.

The meeting featured presentations by summer interns regarding their research initiatives. Topics included a narrative review on the healthcare experiences and outcomes of deaf and hard-of-hearing pregnant women, research into traumatic spinal cord injuries and their relationship to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and a discussion on the necessity and impact of disability policies in graduate medical education. Additionally, the meeting included announcements regarding recent research publications, awards, and upcoming symposia.

The Rogel Cancer Center's strategic plan, titled 'Discoveries to Cures to Communities,' aims to reduce the burden of cancer and advance innovations in prevention, early diagnosis, optimal treatment, and care through transdisciplinary collaboration. The plan is structured around six strategic pillars: Research, Clinical Research and Patient Care, Training and Education, Community Outreach, Cancer Health Opportunity and Impact, and Infrastructure. It prioritizes research in cancer initiation, progression, resistance, treatment and care delivery, and risk reduction, with an emphasis on improving equity, outcomes, and value for the Michigan community.