Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program
Overview
As part of the Department of Surgery’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Program, we aim to foster an inclusive community that represents a diversity of perspectives and identities, and creates equitable access to achieve success and advancements in academic surgery.
The DE&I Program comprises a variety of workgroups:
- LGBTQIA+
- Women & Gender
- Surgeons with Chronic Conditions
- Underrepresented in Medicine
The Mass General Department of Surgery is a proud member of the:
Recent Events
Our Publications
View a list of publications by our faculty and residents related to health care disparities
- Kelleher, C. M., & Chang, D. C. (2023). Equal Work for Equal Pay. Annals of surgery, 277(2), e247–e248.
- Chen, Y. W., Orlas, C., Chang, D. C., & Kelleher, C. M. (2023). Gender Homophily in Interphysician Referrals to Surgeons. The Journal of surgical research, 283, 70–75.
- Eruchalu, C. N., Etheridge, J. C., Hammaker, A. C., Kader, S., Abelson, J. S., Harvey, J., Farr, D., Stopenski, S. J., Nahmias, J. T., Elsaadi, A., Campbell, S. J., Foote, D. C., Ivascu, F. A., Montgomery, K. B., Zmijewski, P., Byrd, S. E., Kimbrough, M. K., Smith, S., Postlewait, L. M., Dodwad, S. M., … Cortez, A. R. (2023). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Operative Experience Among General Surgery Residents: A Multi-Institutional Study from the US ROPE Consortium. Annals of surgery, 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005848. Advance online publication.
- Cron, D. C., Braun, H. J., Ascher, N. L., Yeh, H., Chang, D. C., & Adler, J. T. (2023). Sex-based Disparities in Access to Liver Transplantation for Waitlisted Patients With Model for end-stage Liver Disease Score of 40. Annals of surgery, 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005933. Advance online publication.
- de Crescenzo, C. M., Chen, Y. W., Chang, D. C., & Yeh, H. (2023). The Effect of Language on Access to Timely COVID-19 Vaccination of Solid Abdominal Organ Transplant Recipients. Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, 36, 10888.
- Chen, Y. W., Kim, T., Specht, M. C., Gadd, M. A., Smith, B. L., Chang, D. C., & Oseni, T. O. (2023). Time to surgery: A health equity metric in breast cancer patients. American journal of surgery, 226(4), 432–437.
- Chen, Y. W., Orlas, C., Kim, T., Chang, D. C., & Kelleher, C. M. (2023). Workforce Attrition Among Male and Female Physicians Working in US Academic Hospitals, 2014-2019. JAMA network open, 6(7), e2323872.
- Oseni, T. O., Kelly, B. N., Pei, K., Nielsen, M., Pitt, S. C., Diego, E., Mouawad, N. J., & Stein, S. L. (2022). Diversity efforts in surgery: Are we there yet? American journal of surgery, 224(1 Pt B), 259–263.
- Perez, N. P., Baez, Y. A., Stapleton, S. M., Muniappan, A., Oseni, T. S., Goldstone, R. N., & Chang, D. C. (2022). Racially Conscious Cancer Screening Guidelines: A Path Towards Culturally Competent Science. Annals of surgery, 275(2), 259–270.
- Kim, Y., Kassam, A. F., McElroy, I. E., Lee, S., Tanious, A., Chou, E. L., Patel, S. S., Pendleton, A. A., & Dua, A. (2022). The current status of the diversity pipeline in surgical training. American journal of surgery, 224(1 Pt B), 250–256.
- Chen, Y. W., Chang, D. C., Armstrong, K. A., & Kelleher, C. M. (2022). "Women as Deficit": Re-evaluating Interventions to Establish Gender Equity. Annals of surgery, 275(1), 37–38.
Our Workgroups
LGBTQIA+
The mission of the LGBTQIA+ group is to promote acceptance and provide a safe, inclusive, and open environment for faculty, residents, and staff throughout the Mass General community, our partner institutions, and beyond.
We collaborate with the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Health Equity Initiative at Harvard Medical School as part of our efforts to expand representation of LGBTQIA+ surgeons. Through SGM, LGBTQIA+ surgeons can sign up for the HMS OutList, a resource for students to connect with LGBTQIA+ faculty for mentorship as they navigate medical school and their future medical careers.
Workgroup Lead
Women & Gender
The mission of the Women & Gender group is to promote gender equity and inclusivity in surgical education, research, and clinical practice. We strive to create an environment that supports the professional development and advancement of women and underrepresented gender identities in surgery, while also recognizing the intersectionality of our identities and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of surgical care. Through education, mentorship, and community-building initiatives, we aim to cultivate a culture of respect, collaboration, and excellence in surgical practice that values the contributions of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
Workgroup Lead 
Cornelia Griggs, MD
Surgeons with Chronic Conditions
The mission of the Surgeons with Chronic Conditions group is to support our faculty and staff that are managing chronic conditions by removing obstacles, providing customary accommodations, and helping remove barriers and stigma associated with chronic conditions.
Workgroup Lead
Hugh Auchincloss, MDUnderrepresented in Medicine (URiM)
The mission of the Underrepresented in Medicine group is to support our URiM community and increase diversity of our department by promoting a culture of inclusion and equity and fostering engagement with our surrounding community. This group is dedicated to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all. We champion the recruitment and retention of a diverse group of medical professionals and students, while advocating for the advancement and success of historically underrepresented individuals in medicine. We strive to educate, influence, and inspire the Mass General community to create a more inclusive culture.
Workgroup Leads
Eriberto Michel, MD
Luis Suarez, MDNotable Achievements, Events, and Initiatives
The Mass General Department of Surgery DE&I Program started many new and exciting initiatives centered around diversity and inclusion, including:
- DEI efforts for the Surgical Residency Program
- A Grand Rounds entitled, “Trans-forming Surgical Care” presented by Dr. Michaela West
- A new speaker series called, “The Fabric of MGH Surgery: Celebrating Our Stories,” to highlight the voices of those who make our department special and diverse
- Newly established mentorship opportunities to bridge gender gaps and reduce disparities
- Attendance at women’s leadership conferences, bringing valuable lessons and evidence back to the broader department
- Multiple social events targeted at maximally inclusive family-friendly locations, hours, and accessibility
- Aggregation of a research team dedicated to disseminating the most up-to-date literature and evidence on women and gender in surgery
- Discussions of social determinants of health are now a standard part of our M&M conferences
Awards and Honors
Resident DE&I Champion Award
2024 Winner
Jasmine Khubchandani, MD
2023 Winner
Imani McElroy, MD
2022 Winner
Numa Perez, MD
Mass General Brigham Pillars of Excellence Award
The Department of Surgery DE&I Program was a 2022 winner in the category of Integrating Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Meet Our Team
Our Leadership
Sareh Parangi, MD
Co-Chair
Briana Burris, DDS
Co-Chair
John Hwabejire, MBBS
Co-Chair
Our Workgroup Leads
Our Committee Members
- Savo Bou Zein Eddine, MD
- David Chang, MPH, PhD
- Rajshri Gartland, MD, MPH
- Hannah Bougleux Gomes, MD
- Micaela Torres, MD, MPH
- Vinod Narra, MD
- Boateng Kubi, MD
- Deanna Rothman, MD
- Allan Goldstein, MD
- Shannon Cramm, MD
- Jaime Rivera, MD
- Heidi Yeh, MD
- Margaret Connolly, MD
- Marianna Bei, PhD
- Orit Abrahim, MD, MPH
- Falen Demsas, MD, MA
- Cemre Turk, MD
- Katherine Albutt, MD, MPH
- Jon Winograd, MD
- John Schulz, MD, PhD
- Sarah Halix, MD
- Zach Feldman, MD, MPH, MSc
Become Involved
Learn more about how to become involved in the Department of Surgery’s DE&I Program.