Equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts continue within the EIIC

In September, the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center shared its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) agenda at a plenary session at the 2021 All-Grantee Meeting. The session covered the importance of EDI in pediatric emergency care, the EDI initiatives of EIIC partner organizations, the EDI strategic plan for the EIIC, and ways to become involved in this work.

Key elements of EIIC’s strategic plan for EDI include:

1. Ensuring that all EIIC products and communications (1) use inclusive language and imagery and (2) are vetted before release by a diverse pool of stakeholders that includes family advisors and EMSC trainees
2. Supporting EIIC workforce development through EDI training and related opportunities identified in collaboration with EIIC’s partner organizations
3. Incorporating EDI best practices into EIIC-supported data collection and measurement efforts

The plenary session can be viewed here.

In addition to sharing the EDI strategic plan, the EIIC EDI Steering Committee also provided educational opportunities for attendees throughout the meeting, including access to the EIIC's EDI glossary, implicit bias training, and a session on EDI in quality improvement efforts. EMSC’s research arm, the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), also held a session on health equity and disparities.

The EDI Steering Committee was first organized in February 2021 at the request of EIIC leadership and the EIIC Advisory Board. Members of the committee include representation from across multiple EIIC domains, each of EIIC’s collaborative partners, the Health Resources and Services Administration, EMSC’s Family Advisory Network, and the EMSC State Partnership Program, along with the EMSC Fellow in Advocacy.

Members were invited based on their experiences and role within the EMSC care continuum, knowledge of their organization’s current and planned activities relevant to EDI, and personal interest and/or expertise in developing and promoting EDI initiatives.

Leading the EIIC's EDI work are EIIC Co-Director Charles Macias, MD, MPH; Advocacy Domain Lead Sarah Ronis, MD, MPH; and Advocacy Domain Project Manager Jennifer Talley, MM.

To learn more about EIIC’s EDI work, visit its webpage. If you would like to get involved, contact us.