Plan to Enhance Diversity

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Abstract Plan to Enhance Diversity The City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center (COHCCC)’s Plan to Enhance Diversity (PED) is led by Rick Kittles, PhD, COHCCC Associate Director for Health Equity and Angela L. Talton, PED Operations Lead. Our diversity, equity and inclusion (DE+I) mission is to “infuse DE+I into our DNA”—to make sure DE+I is part of our day-to-day interactions throughout COH while tailoring programming and initiatives to the needs of individual areas such as the COHCCC. Our strategy seeks to highlight connections between DE+I and innovation, precision medicine, compassionate patient care, and acknowledgment of diversity. The connection being the need to respect and reflect differences as we seek to cure cancer for the entire population, not just a subset of it. COHCCC is committed to being proactive in fostering an equitable, inclusive, and safe environment that embraces diversity and diverse perspectives. Basic, translational, clinical, and population science research flourish when faculty, staff, and students are empowered to think big. COHCCC promotes values of scholarship, leadership, transparency, and accountability in the pursuit of excellence in discovery, learning, and service. Within a highly dynamic research environment, COHCCC advances these guiding principles in the recruitment, training, and development of future scientific leaders. COHCCC has demonstrated significantly increased institutional commitment to DE+I over the last two years, reflected by the hiring of Ms. Talton and the chartering of the DE+I Governance Council. Highlighted DE+I accomplishments include: The successful roll out of mandatory DE+I scenario-based, interactive training in Unconscious Bias and Situational Inclusivity for all COH employees has laid the groundwork for an inclusive culture predicated upon changing actions and behaviors. Development of a DE+I strategic plan, including triennial Diversity Climate Surveys disseminated to all graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty, has allowed COHCCC to better understand our present and potential diversity and inclusion performance, so we can plan for the future. We sponsored—and executive leadership endorsed—a strategic initiative to increase the diversity of faculty and strengthen COHCCC leadership in the science of health disparities and DE+I. Through the resulting Interdisciplinary Cluster Hire Program, COHCCC will hire faculty with a demonstrated record of research, teaching, and/or service to focus on African American and Latino health issues and populations. Our Specific Aims for the next funding period are: 1) Build a sustainable program to enhance COHCCC’s commitment to DE+I; 2) Through leadership commitment and strategic accountability, proactively foster an equitable, inclusive, and safe environment that embraces diversity and diverse perspectives; and 3) Infuse DE+I into the DNA of the COHCCC through a holistic approach.