DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

The ABA plays a distinct role in addressing biases to improve healthcare outcomes for patients and advancing equity and inclusion

Our commitment

We have long recognized that the ABA plays a distinct role in addressing biases to improve healthcare outcomes and advancing equity and inclusion, particularly as it relates to our organization and assessments.

Being an organization that welcomes people from different communities enriches us all. Witnessing the opportunities and accomplishments that result from equitable service provision is a source of organizational pride. Tailoring our work and workplace to diverse populations allows us to learn from each other and grow.

DEI governance

Our DEI efforts were guided by a task force from 2018-2023. In the fall of 2023, we created the created a DEI advisory group to replace the task force, establishing a more permeant structure for these efforts. The group is comprised of a director liaison, a DEI staff leader and 16 board-certified anesthesiologist volunteers from across the country. The advisory group is charged with reviewing prospective DEI initiatives and providing input and recommendations to the Board of Directors in support of its goal to weave DEI into our culture to address healthcare disparities in the context of initial and continuing certification.

Current DEI Initiatives

In 2018, we began taking intentional steps to facilitate discussions and employ strategies to ensure that our volunteers and board leaders are representative of the anesthesiology community. This work has become part of a broader strategy to weave DEI into the fabric of the ABA culture. The revelatory nature of the pandemic and the true depth of the nation’s healthcare disparities have led the Board of Directors to accelerate DEI initiatives.

Our progress and initiatives have evolved, and below are our key initiatives for the upcoming year. We will continue to share these milestones as our DEI plan advances and you can review completed milestones here.

Implement a proposed structure to continue DEI efforts

Increase diversity in the volunteer corps to reflect the broader MOCA participant population

Identify and close DEI knowledge gaps identified via ABA assessments

Assess policies and practices to promote equitable access to opportunities, resources and advancement

Our Future

We plan to continue to construct our DEI foundation through our policies and procedures, including publicizing our volunteer selection processes, evaluating representation at all levels of the organization and developing continuing DEI education for diplomates, volunteers and staff. We will continue to share our emerging plan and milestones.

We are committed to doing our part to address the public health crisis propagated by social and healthcare inequities. Our mission is to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology. Equitable, high-quality healthcare, including anesthesia care, must be made available equally to all, regardless of their race, religion or sexual orientation.

DEI Principles

We acknowledge that individual and institutional bias has impacted or excluded marginalized members of our professional and patient communities, regardless of the intention of those excluding.
We commit to engaging the broader diplomate and healthcare communities in our DEI initiatives to ensure that we gain comprehensive input to pursue meaningful DEI goals and initiatives.
We commit to communicating transparently and frequently with key stakeholders regarding our DEI efforts and providing channels to receive and incorporate feedback.
We will set actionable goals, holding ourselves accountable for measuring our progress toward these goals.
We will seek out opportunities to collaborate and incorporate evidence-based best practices that enhance our ability to achieve our goals and support broader DEI efforts in healthcare.
We commit to creating pathways for ABA volunteers and staff to access the resources and mentorship they need to achieve professional success.
We commit to researching and rooting out instances of bias in our policies and assessments if or when any are identified.
We understand the importance of increasing awareness related to bias, discrimination, systemic racism and healthcare disparities, and we commit to continuously educating and training key stakeholders within our sphere of influence.