8 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 2 0
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ast month, as peaceful protests and violent opposition took over
American cities following George Floyd's murder, surgical pro-
fessionals around the country began to share powerful personal
stories of past and recent racial injustices with this magazine. The col-
lection of honest, eye-opening, first-person accounts (beginning on page
16) aims to raise awareness of inequalities and prejudices you might not
know exist, and to provide hope for a more inclusive future in surgery.
These stories begin an ongoing dialogue that will take place in a
new regular column "Diversity and Inclusion," set to launch in the
August issue. This platform will allow national experts and informed
individuals to discuss ways to empower, involve and accept staff
members and patients of different skin colors, genders, ages, reli-
gions, disabilities and sexual orientations.
The column won't be enough to solve the complex issue of
inequality in health care, but hopefully it's a positive first step.
These experts' insights will increase awareness of the need for
more inclusion and acceptance, and provide actionable steps for
making the OR a more welcoming place.
Creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace is the right
thing to do. It also positions your facility to meet the surgical care
needs of the nation's growing minority population, which might
feel more comfortable interacting with healthcare providers who
share their racial identity. Building a diverse team of caregivers
will help you improve access to surgical care for a currently
underserved patient demographic.
Investing in diversity also lets you tap into new talent pools when
hiring, giving you access to different viewpoints and fresh perspec-
Awareness Leads to Action
Our new column will continue the dialogue on diversity.
Editor's Page
Dan Cook
