Equity Matters, a joint pilot initiative of ACGME, the Organization of Program Directors Associations (OPDA) and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), will drive measurable improvements in equity by increasing physician workforce diversity and creating clinical and learning environments that are safe, inclusive, and equitable. Equity Matters will provide a phased, continuous learning approach to building knowledge and process improvement skills to effectively address DEI and anti-racism. Using an asynchronous learning platform, the phased curriculum, tools, and skills training will provide opportunities to drive toward implementation of innovative interventions, policies, and data strategies that support DEI. This pilot strategy will support DEI and anti-racist practices and policies across the full continuum of physician training to physicians in practice.
Equity Matters will employ a reverse ideation approach to engaging the GME and the broader physician community in an educational framework. Rather than focus on problem solving in an open-ended way, reverse ideation employs intense focus on what causes the problem and how to achieve the opposite. It is critical to engage stakeholders at the specialty society, program director association, institution, program, and faculty levels including physicians, administrative leadership, and coordinators in both learning and enhancing knowledge of DEI and inclusive practices. These stakeholders form the learning communities that will be engaged through the Equity Matters initiative.
Each learning community cohort will engage in an 18-month learning collaborative in which the first six-months include monthly learning sessions to build the foundational knowledge of the participants and aid in the preparation of an innovation plan. Participating teams will receive faculty coaching and access to resources during the following 12-months of their innovation design and implementation culminating in a capstone presentation. During latter 12 months the learning sessions will be held semi-monthly.
The Equity Matters program is designed based on productivity, application, and active learning. Participants will emerge from the learning communities with an expanded knowledge base in diversity, equity, inclusion, racism, disparities, etc. All participating organizations will eventually be able to access the extensive online library of DEI and anti-racism resources with CME credit provided for completion of the DEI and anti-racism fundamentals courses.