Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Addressing and Overcoming Biases
Missed the panel? The recording will be available for registered attendees on the AMRPA Virtual Conference Platform on October 14, 2020.
Addressing biases, especially those that are implicit, can be a difficult process. As medical rehabilitation hospitals prioritize patient care and outcomes, it is imperative that diversity exists in the health care workforce, including support staff, caregivers and researchers. During this session, our panelists will speak to bias in the hiring process and research grant review process, and how to use evidence-based principles to address inequity and build diversity at hospitals and research institutions.
Moderator: Alberto Esquenazi, MD, Chair, Department of PM&R, MossRehab
Alberto Esquenazi, MD, serves as the John Otto Haas Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at MossRehab in Philadelphia, and is the Chief Medical Officer as well as Director of the Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory and Clinical Director of the Regional Amputee Center. He is Professor of PM&R at Jefferson School of Medicine and Temple University and Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Drexel University.
Dr. Esquenazi received his degree in Medicine and Surgery from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. He completed his residency in PM&R at Temple University and a fellowship in gait analysis and prosthetic research at MossRehab. His research focuses on gait analysis, limb prosthetics, orthotics, spasticity management and robotics and technology in rehabilitation. Dr. Esquenazi has published widely and is a member of national and international professional, educational, and research societies and is past president of the American Academy of PM&R and member of the board of AMRPA. He is the recipient of prestigious national and international awards for his clinical, research and educational efforts including the 2019 Krusen Lifetime Achievement Award from AAPMR.
Panelists
Dylan J. Edwards, PhD, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute
Dr. Edwards is the Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, and brings experience in translational research administration, including the conduct of competitively funded research, and the training of tomorrow’s scientists. In his research capacity, as Director of the Human Motor Recovery Laboratory, Dr. Edwards brings an extensive background in neurorehabilitation research in the field of stroke and spinal cord injury, leading novel experimental investigations and clinical trials. Dr. Edwards has served as an invited expert in contemporary approaches in neurorehabilitation for the National Academy of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. In this latter capacity, he will speak on biases in research and potential impact on research funding.
Dr. Edwards joined MRRI in 2018 from Burke Neurological Institute in White Plains, N.Y., where he was the director of the Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Laboratory and director of the Restorative Neurology Clinic. He was also a lecturer in neurology, and Co-Director of the Intensive Course in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Edwards holds a position as professor in neuroscience, at Edith Cowan University in Australia.
Bill Manns, CEO, Bronson Healthcare
Bill Manns is president and chief executive officer for Bronson Healthcare ─ the largest employer and leading healthcare system in southwest Michigan. As the senior executive, he oversees a full range of services from primary care to critical care across more than 100 locations. Manns, who joined Bronson in 2020, has nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare leadership. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Psychology and a master’s degree in Health Services Administration. In addition to his healthcare-specific background, he is experienced in LEAN and Six Sigma. His current professional memberships include the National Association of Healthcare Executives, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and an appointment by the Governor of Michigan to the Public Health Advisory Council.