Center on Diversity, Inclusion and Minority Engagement (DIME)

The Center on Diversity, Inclusion, and Minority Engagement was launched by the AcademyHealth Board of Directors in 2013 to support training and mentoring for under-represented racial and ethnic minority (URM) researchers. In 2014, the AcademyHealth/Aetna Scholars in Residence Program and the Diversity Scholars Program began to provide research support, professional development, and networking opportunities for URM early career researchers to pursue HSR careers. Our subsequent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) activities have been focused on thought leadership and influence in the field of HSR by increasing workforce diversity and inviting new voices into conference presentations, workshops, and other convenings. Together, these activities have helped to develop a community of practice that engages more than 200 mentees, mentors, and other supporters.

In 2019, the Board of Directors approved the organization’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025, with diversity and inclusion as core values. In July 2021, consistent with the recommendations from a report by Advisory Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in HSR, AcademyHealth sponsored an open workshop on Understanding and Eliminating Bias in HSR Methods with more than 600 registrants. Each year, the Annual Research Meeting has more than 40 sessions with DEIA-related themes, including plenary sessions, methods workshops, and policy panels. 

In June 2023, the DIME will release an open access, searchable Equity and Innovation Resource Hub with vetted and curated DEIA resources, including peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, frameworks, infographics, videos, and other resources to inform the field.  It is designed for researchers, educators, students, policy-makers, community leaders, and others who seek to promote equitable and inclusive cultures where they live and work and we will continue to add new resources as they become available.

Sponsor

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Reports & Publications

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Health Services and Policy Research: Recommendations to AcademyHealth from the DEI Advisory Group on HSR. An Advisory Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Health Services and Policy Research (DEI in HSR) was assembled to provide targeted insight for enhancing the organization’s priorities and activities for meaningful change. The group used an explicit equity lens to help define and develop recommendations to position AcademyHealth as a leader and partner for advancing meaningful change for DEI in HSR.

The Future of Diversity and Inclusion in Health Services and Policy Research: A Report On The AcademyHealth Workforce Diversity
The imperative for diversity stems not only from the need to reflect the changing demographics in the U.S population, but also from a need to ensure that the best talent from all backgrounds feels at home in health services research (HSR), contributes to a vibrant community of evidence producers and users, and advances the production and use of the evidence we need to improve health and the performance of learning health systems. This report highlights recommendations from the expert panel that encouraged AcademyHealth to provide national leadership to promote workforce diversity and inclusion in the field of HSR. 

Training & Resources

The Equity and Innovation Resource Hub

The Equity and Innovation Resource Hub is a searchable repository, curated by AcademyHealth, that contains tools, templates, literature, and other resources that highlight successful innovations, best practices, and proven methods for changing organizational culture to promote representation and scientific innovation. The Resource Hub was developed as an output of AcademyHealth’s ongoing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and science innovation work designed to drive change in organizations with the ultimate goal of achieving a high-impact, equitable health services and policy research field. 

Workshop: Understanding and Eliminating Bias in HSR Methods (Jul 20, 2021)

• • • Part 1: What Kinds of Biases Does the Field of HSR Need to Address?
    • Part 2: Misclassification and Undercount of “Race” and Ethnicity
    • Part 3: Current Controversies and Emerging Methods
    • Part 4: Bringing it Home: How to Apply Anti-Racism Action Steps for Eliminating Bias
    • Part 5: Reflections: What’s Next for Health Equity Research?

Pilots & Programs

AcademyHealth Diversity Scholars Program
The AcademyHealth Diversity Scholars Program provides travel and registration support for five scholars to attend the Annual Research Meeting (ARM), pre-ARM Methods Workshops, and an Interest Group (IG) meeting of the scholar's choice. The goal of the Program is to support the professional development of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups in the field of health services research (HSR).