The double pandemic: diversity, equity and inclusion at Yale University School of Medicine in the era of COVID-19

What is it about?

The case exposes students in multiple disciplines to the challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis at Yale University School of Medicine (YSM). It describes its remarkable effects on organizational and community members as they struggled to reimagine more inclusive and supportive spaces. As one of the most severe crises humanity has ever witnessed, COVID-19 exacerbated the existing struggles of the underrepresented communities, creating a double pandemic. It has also amplified inequities among marginalized groups including black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), women, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, people with different abilities, working parents, single parents, religious minorities, and people with low income. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Yale University School of Medicine (YSM), like other pioneering schools in the field of healthcare doubled its efforts to face both the public health crisis and the substantial social turmoil (racial tensions after the death of George Floyd, food insecurity, vaccine resistance, social inequalities, etc.) Professor Marietta Vazquez, MD., who was the first Latina to be named Associate Dean for Medical Students Diversity at YSM launched with Dr. Latimore (Chief Diversity Officer) and her other colleagues many strategic initiatives aiming at improving the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) of organizational and community members. The case is an invitation to graduate students and students in executive education programs to reflect on the grand challenges leaders faced at YSM as well as in other institutions across the nation and the globe. It is also a call to re-imagine ways leaders can accelerate the pace of change in their organizational ecosystems..

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