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"...creating an environment in which a richly diverse group of healthcare professionals will thrive."

 

About us. In 1992, Dr. Winfred Williams founded the Office for Minority Health Professions to address the issue of increasing the number of URM trainees at MGH, principally in the Department of Medicine. In 2000, the office was renamed the Multicultural Affairs Office (MAO), to reflect its evolution into a Hospital-and community-wide resource which now works with virtually all departments at MGH. In late 2006, MAO was restructured with the support of MGH President Peter Slavin. As part of this restructuring, a multi-disciplinary advisory board co-chaired by Drs. Williams and Slavin, and comprised of chiefs of service, hospital and MGPO leadership, a trustee, an HMS Dean, as well as senior underrepresented minority faculty, was created to provide advice and assistance with the strategic direction of the office.
Elena Olson, MAO Executive Director, and Winfrend Williams, Co-Chair, MAO Advisory Board

Currently, MAO's staff has grown to include Elena Olson as Executive Director, as well as 2 full-time administrative staff. MAO's part-time physician staff include a manager of trainee affairs (works with trainees), a director of the URM medical students mentorship program (works with HMS students), a program director for multicultural education, as well as 2 Associate Directors who are intricately involved in MAO's initiatives.

Mission
MAO seeks to promote increased recruitment, retention and advancement of the careers of URM students, physicians and researchers, as well as to develop culturally competent physicians at MGH. We believe this mission is crucial to enhancing the quality of patient care, teaching and research at MGH

Initiatives
MAO implements its mission through numerous programs and collaborations, which fall under three broad-based initiatives:

    1. Professional Leadership and Workforce Diversity
    2. Multicultural Education and Research
    3. Community Outreach

* The MGH follows the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) definition of underrepresented minorities in medicine.

 

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