Dear Colleagues,
As we face painful and extraordinary challenges in our nation, I am heartened by how we are addressing them together, with care and knowledge, driven by our mission. I join the extreme grief over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and hold up their lives as beacons to abolish racism and discrimination in any form once and for all.
To make systemic change, we are being called to action, in
Chancellor Sam Hawgood’s words
, "to advance our work in eliminating health disparities and continually reinforce an inclusive culture in which every one of us feels safe and empowered." I strongly agree, and see opportunity for interprofessional education to embody and model this culture for our faculty, staff, and learners.
Over the past few months, to adjust to the "new normal" of the pandemic, we have been rethinking our systems and adapting in turn. We are looking for multi-pronged approaches to address unmet health needs and underserved populations, as well as improve how we deliver interprofessional education. Our two newsletter stories reflect the power of collaboration to serve some of our most vulnerable patients: operating the student-run Mabuhay Clinic to serve SOMA's elderly Filipino community and piloting a telehealth rotation to reach patients most at risk for COVID-19.
Looking ahead, I invite you to explore these opportunities:
In closing, I thank our UCSF school deans for their leadership and our faculty and staff for their shared commitment to equality and equity as well as their agility over the course of our regional shelter-in-place order. Your collective efforts on behalf of our students are inspiring and appreciated.
I send my best wishes for your health, and thank you for your partnership.
Maria Wamsley, MD
