Achieving Antiracism in Medical Education: Transforming the Culture

About Ann-Gel PalermoDavid MullerLeona Hess

Dr. Hess is Founder and Co-Director of the The Center for Antiracism in Practice. She has over eight years of experience teaching masters level courses on contemporary social issues focusing on racism sexism ableism and heterocentrism. Dr. Hess facilitates opportunities to engage in deeper dialogue challenge the status quo promote critical thinking and systems thinking and identify sound actions and a strategy toward systemic change. Hess holds a PhD from Columbia University and an MSW from New York University. Ann-Gel S. Palermo is the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity Equity and Inclusion for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and the Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer in Education and Research of the Mount Sinai Health System's Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Palermo is also the co-director of the newly established ISMMS Center for Antiracism in Practice. Dr. Palermo provides leadership strategic vision and guidance in the integration of diversity equity and inclusion principles into the structures policies and practices of the education and research environments. Dr. Palermo spearheads and works in partnership with senior leaders to develop and implement initiatives with effective accountability and assessment mechanisms to foster a holistic equitable and thriving environment for Mount Sinai faculty staff students and trainees. Dr. Palermo is the national chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Committee on Student Diversity Affairs (COSDA). David Muller's work focuses on the impact of racism and bias on medical education and creating alternative pathways to medical school in an effort to redefine national standards for undergraduate and post-bac pre-med preparation. His honors include the 2015 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award and the 2009 American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation Pride in the Profession Award. Under his leadership ISMMS was recognized with the AAMC Spencer Foreman Community Service Award in 2009. In 2004 he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Muller co-founded and directed the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program. Founded in 1995 Visiting Doctors is now the largest academic physician home visiting program in the country.