An inclusive culture
Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) faculty members lead diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts to address socioeconomic disparities in eye care and support the career development of a diverse pool of talented trainees and faculty.
Several faculty members volunteer at the free medical student-run Shade Tree Clinic providing free eye care to underinsured individuals. They have engaged as mentors in national pipeline programs, and in the past two years they have published eight articles addressing DEI in ophthalmology and discussed the topic at several national forums.
In 2022, VEI appointed Dolly Ann Padovani-Claudio, MD, PhD, a pediatric ophthalmologist, educator and clinician-scientist, to the new position of VEI liaison of DEI to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has garnered broad recognition through her DEI work in national and international organizations including the National Medical Association’s NIH-funded Rabb-Venable Program and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program. She leads the VEI Executive Committee’s DEI task force.
The task force created the Chasidy Singleton Outstanding Aspiring Ophthalmologist Award to honor an ophthalmology student from an underrepresented group in medicine who is aligned with faculty member Singleton’s path. The task force also initiated a scholarship that provides funds for one trainee from outside VUMC to rotate through VEI’s monthlong clinical ophthalmology elective.
“VEI recognizes that an inclusive and diverse environment enhances program strength and patient care,” Padovani-Claudio said. “Diversity and equity are essential for the success of trainees and faculty alike and ultimately contribute to a more verdant field of ophthalmology.”