Announcing Interim Vice Chair of Equity, Inclusion & Structural Change, Dr. Sara Whetstone
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sara Whetstone as interim Vice Chair of Equity, Inclusion, and Structural Change, effective immediately.
The creation of this new role is the outgrowth of this Department’s priority to cultivate an equitable, inclusive, and liberating professional and clinical environment for patients, learners, staff, and faculty. It is now the charge of this Vice Chair position to partner with the Chair in leading the strategic planning for our Department’s equity and inclusion efforts. Additionally, the Faculty Vice Chair and staff dyad partner will work to:
- Advance health equity in our clinical services and in the communities we serve;
- Build a culture and infrastructure that enables a data-driven approach for continuous improvement and accountability around DEI efforts;
- Promote boundary-spanning and collaborative partnerships and leverage university resources; and
- Support the recruitment, development, and retention of a diverse faculty, staff, and learner community, focusing on the promotion of a supportive and accountable climate
Dr. Whetstone joined our department as a resident in 2009 and subsequently joined the faculty in 2013. As a clinician-educator whose work is centered in the principles of reproductive justice, Dr. Whetstone brings multiple strengths to this position. She came to medicine and specifically OB/GYN with a deep commitment to improving the care provided to individuals from marginalized communities. Her academic work has focused on aligning educational and clinical training to the needs of our population by centering the experiences and well-being of the most underserved individuals and communities.
She currently serves as the Associate OBGYN Residency Program Director and has worked tirelessly to help our residency program become the most diverse in the institution. On the clinical front, she serves as an academic specialist in general obstetrics & gynecology where she works daily to provide affirming, patient-centered care. Additionally, Dr. Whetstone is one of the Associate Directors for the Black Women's Health and Livelihood Initiative.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sara Whetstone as the first sitting Vice Chair of Equity, Inclusion and Structural Change for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences.