Our memo brings together information that reflects the current thinking on how to progress Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace. Each month it is bursting with highlights for reflection and inspiration. Let us continue to work together to help influence social change, to achieve a safer and fairer society.
 
*Please note that this memo reflects the feelings and thoughts of your Diversity Committee. It is not meant to capture all the feelings within our Department. We openly recognize all may not agree. We do hope these memos help educate all of us about diversity issues and in addition invoke thoughtful and courteous discussion and debate*
 
~ The Pediatrics Diversity Committee
MONTH AWARENESS
 
September is a rich month with much to honor. September 15th though October 15th is Spanish Heritage Month. This period of time is dedicated to celebrating the history and culture of American citizens from Mexico, Spain, Central America, South American and the Caribbean and their contributions the US. This occasion was first celebrated as a week starting in 1968 under President Johnson and later became an entire month in 1988. September 15 marks the independence of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Mexico celebrates their independence on September 16th and Chile September 18th.
There are four Jewish Holidays in September. Two of the holiest are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated sundown September 6th until sundown September 8th. Yom Kippur, a day of atonement and fasting is honored September 15th and 16th, sundown to sundown. Please remember not to schedule meetings during these two holidays. September 20th – 27th is the Jewish celebration of the harvest, Sukkot, followed by Shemini Atzeret also honoring the harvest (27-29). Simchat Torah is the 28th – 29th of September marking the year’s end of the reading of the Torah (in Judaism the law of G_d as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures) to be started over the following week.
Please remember as we move into September, there is a lot going on in the world. The world is kind of a crazy place and the pandemic relentless. There are many stressors on everyone, especially those in the health care industry. There are many extra demands on all of us brought on by COVID. Ask yourself what you need during these stressful times. Take time every day for yourself. Ask for help and support. Call a friend and check on them. Meditate. Practice mindfulness. Yoga. Exercise. Whatever works for you. There are resources available:

Taking Care of Our Own
The Taking of Our Own Program (TCOOO) is a service offered to all physicians, faculty and housestaff, within the UNC Healthcare System who would benefit from convenient and confidential expertise in wellness and mental health.

Women’s Health and Information Center:

Gyms:

(Crystal Schiller, PhD and Nadia Charguia, MD)

● Covers specific tools to manage anxiety and stress during uncertain times.
● Topics include mindfulness and self-care (Crystal Schiller, PhD)

● Discuss the psychological impact of COVID-19, ways to protect and mitigate negative effects, how to maximize constructive and minimize destructive coping (Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH)
● Review the ethical issues that we all face in this pandemic (Gary Gala, MD)
● Provide specific tools that help improve well-being (Crystal Schiller, PhD)

Mindfulness via WebEx Mindfulness Self-Compassion - 20 minute sessions
● 12:15 pm Monday
● 4:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday
For more information please contact Jennifer Tauber.

Mindful UNC is gathering virtually every Monday at 8 a.m. for a 15-20 minute community contemplative practice.

Webinars through the Employee Assistance Program
Coping with Uncertainty About The Coronavirus – 46 minutes
● Discusses uncertainty as it relates to your ability to cope with the Coronavirus
● Reviews individual stress reactions and their impact on coping
● Explores coping strategies for anyone experiencing any uncertainty The video will start after you complete the registration information. Register

Fitness Videos on YouTube

Yoga for the "Front Line"
This yoga practice is designed specifically for the stress relief on the job. The movements can be done during lunch or on breaks either seated in a chair or standing, allowing them to be utilized in the hospital, sans mat!


App and Web based Mental Health Resources
These apps are useful for promoting mindfulness and treating anxiety and depression. Some are apps used in our program and others have been reviewed positively by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. .

Mindfulness/Meditation Apps:Headspace Headspace is now offering free premium access (through 2020) for healthcare providers; sign up with your NPI (National Provider Identification #) ● Calm ● Buddhify (completely free) ● InsightTimer (completely free with thousands of guided meditations)

Depression Treatment Apps: ● Mood Tools

Anxiety Treatment Apps: ● Anxiety Coach (Mayo Clinic) ● Breathe2Relax ● Panic Relief ● A list of good apps reviewed by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America

Sleep/Anxiety: ● CBT-i Coach ● For non-healthcare providers, Stop, Breathe & Think now offers a category with extra free meditations to help combat Coronavirus anxiety. Learn more here for guided meditation and suggestions for distractions

● Tara Brach’s website for guided meditations offers a variety of meditations of varying length
UPCOMING DIVERSITY TOWN HALL
 
Topic:Diversity & Wellness
Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021
Time: 12:00p-1:00p
Location: Join Here Via Zoom
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
Cultural Perspectives on Vaccination by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Public opinions about vaccination include varied and deep-seated beliefs, a result of the tension between divergent cultural viewpoints and value systems. Several key cultural perspectives on vaccination stem from (1) individual rights and public health stances toward vaccination, (2) various religious standpoints and vaccine objections, and (3) suspicion and mistrust of vaccines among different U.S. and global cultures and communities. Click here to read the full article.
SPOTLIGHT
Hispanic Heritage Spotlight: Interview with Dr. Pedro A. Piedra

From the Labs sat down with Dr. Pedro A. Piedra, professor of molecular virology and microbiology, pediatrics, and pharmacology and chemical biology at Baylor College of Medicine. He also is the director of Baylor’s Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), FDA-Certified Respiratory Virus Diagnostic Laboratory. Piedra shared what drove his passion for medicine and research, his leading role fighting back the COVID-19 pandemic and what he has learned from it.

How did the journey that brought you here today start?

I was born in Cuba and lived much of my youth in the Bahamas and Panama. There were very few families near my home. I learned then to be independent and adventurous.

My journey into medicine began when I moved to the U.S. I am a clinical doctor specialized in pediatric infectious diseases. I received my medical doctor’s degree from the University of South Florida, completed my internship and my residency in pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases from Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

I went to Buffalo to learn more about respiratory viruses and their infections because I had seen in the clinic that these diseases caused more than half of children’s medical problems. My plan was to be a practicing physician, but my fellowship changed my mind. Read the full article here.
RECOMMENDED READS


Summary: In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
LOCAL EVENTS
September 1 @ 5:30pm - 7:00pm

The Oldest Guard: Landowners, Local Memory and the Making of the Zionist Settler Past - In this talk, co-hosted by Carolina Center for Jewish Studies and Duke Center for Jewish Studies, Liora Halperin tells the story of Zionist memory in and around the private Jewish agricultural colonies (moshavot) that were established in late 19th century Ottoman Palestine. Though they grew into the backbone of lucrative citrus and wine industries in British mandate Palestine and Israel, absorbed tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants, and became known as the “first wave” (First Aliyah) of Zionist settlement, these communities have been regarded—and disregarded—in the history of Zionism as sites of conservatism, lack of ideological commitment, and resistance to Labor Zionist politics and institutions.

Liora R. Halperin is associate professor of International Studies, History and Jewish Studies, and the Jack and Rebecca Benaroya Endowed Chair in Israel Studies a the University of Washington in Seattle. Her recent book is The Oldest Guard: Forging the Zionist Settler Past (Stanford, 2021). She is also the author of Babel in Zion: Jews, Nationalism, and Language Diversity in Palestine 1920-1948 (Yale, 2015).    Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-oldest-guard-tickets-167487751373
 
September 9 @ 1:30pm – 3:00pm
 
The Race, Racism, and Racial Equity (R3) Symposium, hosted by the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Jordan Institute for Families, and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the UNC School of Social Work, is a series of virtual events that brings together scholars and researchers from across campus to share their work with Carolina and the broader community.

The fourth in the R3 series, “The Many Faces of Environmental (In)Justice: Scholarship Addressing Racism, Infrastructure and Climate Action,” will be held on Thursday, Sept. 9, 1:30–3 p.m. Scholars from departments across UNC, including Epidemiology, Public Health, Social Work and Urban Planning, will share their work addressing environmental justice and climate action.

“We are excited to launch R3 for the 2021-2022 academic year with a panel on environmental racism and climate justice,” said R3 co-convener Allison De Marco, Equity Lead, Jordan Institute for Families, School of Social Work and Advanced Research Scientist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. “Environmental racism takes many forms beyond what we often think about in terms of air pollution, so scholars from across UNC will be discussing their research in these areas and provide us with ideas for action to work for environmental justice.”

Leah Cox, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, added, “To truly understand how minoritized communities are affected by our climate action and our environment, we must examine how the structural response often does not include society’s most vulnerable groups. It is vital for us to look at the research being done at UNC as it relates to these impactful issues and discuss alternative responses. R3 provides the ideal platform for such an important dialogue.”     Register: go.unc.edu/R3
 
Carolina Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

September 14, 2015
Diversity and Multicultural Affairs’ (DMA) Carolina Latina/o Collaborative and the Carolina Union Activities Board will launch the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Sept. 15.

National Hispanic Heritage Month commemorates the contributions made by Latina/o Americans to the United States while celebrating their heritage and culture.

“The growth, presence and contributions of Latinas/os at UNC can been seen throughout our campus,” said Josmell Perez, assistant director for Multicultural Programs and Carolina Latina/o Collaborative at DMA. “Hispanic Heritage Month at UNC is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the contributions and culture of this growing segment of the American population and underline our commitment to an inclusive Carolina Community.”

The Carolina Latina/o Collaborative, in collaboration with various campus partners, coordinates the celebration calendar that runs from Sept. 15 to Oct.15 and includes more than 30 events. The month will include signature events such as:

  • Annual “HHM Kickoff” on Sept. 15 at the Pit.
  • Keynote speaker actress Diane Guerrero on Oct. 4 at the Great Hall. Guerrero is known for her role on the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.”
  • Top of Lenoir dinner on Oct. 8.
  • Carolina Hispanic Association’s Annual “Carnaval!” on Oct. 10 near the Student and Academic Service Buildings.
 
September 14

LGBTQ and Transgender Awareness
In this program, the diversity discussion involves the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer individuals as patients and coworkers in the healthcare environment. As a result of the workshop, participants will: 1. Identify characteristics of diversity in gender and sexual orientation 2. Discuss the challenges within diverse groups 3. Describe personal role in delivering consistent culturally competent care to the LGBT patient and family 4. Discuss our health care system’s role in promoting diversity for patients and coworkers 5. Learn about the Healthcare Equality Index and UNC entities can join other hospitals across the nation in this bi-annual recognition.
Register in LMS myapps.unch.unc.edu/

September 23 @ 6:00 pm

The UNC Latina/o Studies Program: Past, Present and Future - The UNC Latina/o Studies Program is the first and oldest of its kind in the Southeast, initiated in 1999 through courses and a speaker series, then developed into an undergraduate minor that was made official Fall 2004 and subsequently expanded through many other components. The Director of the program, along with undergraduate and graduate students associated with it, will present some of its scholarly, pedagogical, curatorial and creative contributions to the department, the University, the eastern seaboard and our region in its relation to other parts of the globe.

The Director will give a brief history of the program, as it began Fall 1999 with the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series that has brought to campus over 100 scholars, creative writers and performers. Next, undergraduate minors will share their exciting research and other creative Latina/o Studies endeavors. Their presentations will be followed by those of our graduate students and postdocs on their cutting-edge research, teaching and program building. Register Here: https://web.cvent.com/event/50769626-ed1f-4507-98df-24735c92d9ef/regProcessStep1

September 30 @ 6:00 pm

City of Raleigh Social Equity Book Club
Challenge your “social-norms” by exploring people, situations, and circumstances that might be different from your own. This virtual book club boasts a variety of popular titles. 
Upcoming Discussions
To join, please click the links below to register for a book discussion. 
September 30 @ 6PM
December 2 @ 6PM
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
Underrepresented in Medicine Community List

The purpose of the Underrepresented in Medicine Community List is to allow students, staff, residents, and faculty of underrepresented identities that are affiliated with the UNC School of Medicine to find community, mentorship, and representation. Such identities include those belonging to non-dominant religions, races or ethnicities, and sexualities or gender identities.

This community is open and accessible to anyone with a UNC Onyen and password, including current staff, faculty, students, residents, and fellows.
September Dates to Note
Other important dates can be found on the
September 6: Labor Day
September 6-8: Rosh Hashanah
Sept. 15-Oct. 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15-16: Yom Kippur
September 20-27: Sukkot
September 27-29:  Shemini Atzeret
September 28-29: Simchat Torah
Dates to Note is a compilation intended to include, but is not all-inclusive, notable information from the internet, Diversity Best Practices, 2021 Diversity Holiday Calendar, and other sources).
Stuart Gold, MD - Committee Chair
Alessandra Angelino, MD
Benny Joyner, MD
Christel Wekon-kemeni, MD
Christian Lawrence, MD
Denita Moore
Gretter Benitez, MD
Jennifer Gutierrez-Wu, MD
Jennifer McElroy
Kenya McNeal-Trice, MD
Martha Perry, MD
Nikki Ferrin, MD
Nina Jain, MD
Robin Howard
Steven Weinberg, MD
Zachary Pettigrew, MD