Dear Faculty, Trainees and Staff,
It is with heavy hearts that we address this message to you. As if the loss of over 100,000 lives during the pandemic was not enough, with black and brown people enduring a disproportionately high mortality rate, we are reminded once again of the deep rooted racism that continues to plague our country. The senseless killings of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, Ms. Breonna Taylor, and Mr. George Floyd exacerbate the residual despair from our society’s cumulative bloodshed of so many black and brown people. No words can do justice to the raw feelings of anger, exasperation and grief being felt by communities of color and their supporters nationwide. Acknowledging our own frustration and sadness, and with so much unrest being expressed around the nation, we can only imagine how difficult this makes it for you to continue carrying on with all aspects of your lives, and we recognize the added burden for our colleagues of color.
As a Department, we want to deliver a very clear message: we strongly condemn racism in all its forms and we stand united to support every person in our Department in every way possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out while we explore effective and safe ways to come together to support one another and to take further action to address the systemic and structural aspects of racism.
Inginia Genao, MD, FACP
Graduate Medical Education Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Associate Chair for Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Internal Medicine
Associate Professor, Yale School of Medicine
Gary V. Desir, MD
Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine
Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity
Chair, Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
Chief, Internal Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital