AAMC Hosts CBCF, CHCI Panel and Reception, Honors ACE Awardees

In conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's (CBCF) 53rd Annual Legislative Conferenceand the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's (CHCI) 47th Leadership Conference,the AAMC co-sponsored a Sept. 11 health care and diversity panel and reception. The panel, "Q-squared: Factoring Quality and Qualified into the Health Care Equation," was jointly sponsored by the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) and the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA).

The event featured opening remarks by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. The first panel outlined the current status and diversity of the physician workforce and featured AAMC staff Norma Poll-Hunter, PhD, senior director of workforce diversity; Geoffrey Young, PhD, senior director of transforming the health care workforce; and Javarro Russell, PhD, senior director of admissions and testing services.

The second panel discussed strategies to increase the representation of Latinos and African-Americans in the health care workforce and featured Leonardo Seoane, MD, incoming dean of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine; Gilbert Burgos, MD, MPH, interim president of the NHMA; Goulda Downer, PhD, associate professor at the Howard University College of Medicine; Melanie Valentin, fourth-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; and LaTasha Seliby Perkins, MD, assistant professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Following the panel, the AAMC hosted a reception - jointly sponsored with the NMQF, the NHMA, and the National Medical Association - to celebrate the achievements of those who support academic medicine, advance health equity, and transform the health care workforce. During the reception, AAMC Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, presented the 2024 AAMC ACE Award for Advocacy, Collaboration, and Educationto Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) in recognition of her congressional resolution affirming support for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at medical education institutions [refer to Washington Highlights, May 3]. Additional award recipients included Elena Rios, MD, president of the National Hispanic Health Foundation, Henri Ford, MD, dean and chief academic officer at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and Melanie Valentín.