Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care

No other hospital department cares for patients as diverse as those who come to the Emergency Department (ED). These patients encompass all stages and positions of life and health. Many belong to distinct minority cultures defined by the patient's sexual orientation and gender identity, disability, spirituality, language, race, and ethnicity. It has been well documented that minorities experience inadequate emergency treatment and face poorer healthcare outcomes. Furthermore, research has established that the elderly, ethnic minorities, the poor, and persons with Medicaid coverage are more likely than other people to utilize the emergency department rather than primary care services. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, particularly the Medicaid expansion, EDs across the United States are poised to care for an unprecedented number of underserved minorities. The need to equip emergency healthcare professionals to practice medicine that is culturally competent in the broadest possible sense has never been greater. Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care aims to fill this need.

Editors:
Marcus L. Martin, MD
Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity
Professor of Emergency Medicine
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
Charlottesville, VA, USA
 
Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Vice Chair – Administrative Affairs
Assistant Dean Clinical Education & Student Affairs
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA, USA
 
Lisa Moreno-Walton, MD, MS, MSCR
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Director of Emergency Medicine Research
Director of Diversity in Emergency Medicine
Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- New Orleans
New Orleans, LA, USA
 
Managing Editor:
Anna Walker Jones, BA
Charlottesville, VA, USA