DEI News & Events

On November 6, the Minority Housestaff Organization (MHO) held a virtual recruitment event for under-represented in medicine (URiM) students from the three medical schools in Connecticut and some medical schools in the tri-state area. Over forty students logged on to the event. I would like to thank the MHO e-board leaders and Cat Gomez-Stafford for organizing the event.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, racial outcome disparities emerged. In the first year, for example, Black and Hispanic patients were far likelier to die than white patients were. Yet a bright spot occurred at Yale. Not only was the mortality rate throughout Yale New Haven Health in the pandemic’s first two years lower than the national average, but also no race-based survival differences occurred among discharged patients.

On September 18, the Department of Internal Medicine hosted the “Advancing Health Equity: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond” summit. Over 70 panelists, facilitators, and participants from across the country convened in New Haven to discuss strategies to advance health equity nationwide through three panel discussions and Q&A sessions. The event was a phenomenal success as determined by participant feedback and evaluations.

Introducing Basile Njei, MD, MPH, PhD, of the Section of Digestive Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine.

A review of records shows Yale New Haven Hospital’s mortality rate was 34% lower than the national average during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also notable is that the mortality rate was the same across all racial and ethnic groups — which doctors said was not typical for most hospital systems. Dr. Benjamin Mba, the vice chair of DEI in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine, credits a health equity plan that was adopted early on.

Health experts from across the country are meeting at Yale School of Medicine to outline successful strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical professionals with the Yale School of Medicine held a summit Wednesday on health equity and the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cesia Gallegos, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), was recently appointed program director of the Advanced Cardiac Imaging Fellowship. Emmanuel Akintoye, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), was appointed associate director of the program.

At a summit on September 18, 2024, leaders from across Yale School of Medicine will present strategies for improving health equity that they developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.