CME program to highlight ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

ASCRS News
March 2022

by Ellen Stodola
Editorial Co-Director

Attendees of the ASCRS Annual Meeting will have the opportunity to attend a new ASCRS Satellite CME Program, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: When Identifying the Problem Is Not Enough, Leadership Must Take Action,” on Monday from 8:00–9:30 a.m. Moderators Ann Caroline Fisher, MD, and Leon Herndon Jr., MD, spoke to EyeWorld about what to expect at the program that focuses on a social justice issue.

Dr. Fisher said she thinks this is an issue that many academic centers and others are paying more attention to. She has experience at Stanford University with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) being an ongoing endeavor. “One of the things we stress at academic centers is the work needs to start at the leadership level then everyone else follows suit,” she said, adding that the topic is being incorporated into training as well.

Dr. Fisher said she has worked with Dr. Herndon before on DEI efforts at other meetings and webinars, and she’s excited to bring this session back to the ASCRS Annual Meeting for the second year. She also said she’s looking forward to the leadership representation on this year’s panel. “I applaud the faculty on this panel because I think leaders have to lead by example and be ready and willing to have uncomfortable conversations,” she said.

Members from both ASCRS and ASOA can attend the program, and Dr. Herndon said he’s excited to be partnering with ASOA. “We have the leaders of both ASCRS and ASOA at the table to discuss these important topics of social justice,” he said.

The program will feature keynote speaker Artika Tyner, JD, EdD. Dr. Fisher noted her previous work has focused on solving problems. “She’s looking at the data. While there is a lot of emotion when discussing DEI topics, there’s also a lot of data,” Dr. Fisher said.

Dr. Herndon said he is also excited for Dr. Tyner’s talk on implicit bias and micro and macro aggressions in the workplace. “There are many day-to-day factors and forces that shape us when it comes to implicit bias, and sometimes we’re just not aware of these factors. This session is going to shed light on this,” he said.

“When you gather people from different institutions, [you see that] everyone has a different way of approaching a problem,” Dr. Fisher said. “That’s part of the whole diversity mission, and I think by sharing best practices across institutions, we realize there are things we can do better.”

Implicit and unconscious bias can affect everyone, and though Dr. Fisher has experience in an academic center, she noted that it can also come up in private practices. “It could impact things like quality of care and attitude toward patients, colleagues, and staff, so it’s important to start a discussion,” she said.

Dr. Fisher expects a good conversation among participants at the session. “I think everyone has different outlooks, not just based on background, but also physical location and what they’ve been dealing with,” she said. She thinks the program will offer a candid conversation and be very thought-provoking for those in leadership positions.

“While we might not have all the right answers, I think acknowledging where blind spots are and how we could have done better is already helping things move in the right direction,” Dr. Fisher said.

In addition to the keynote speaker and panel discussion, the program will include audience questions and feedback.