Explore About UsEmbracing Diversity
Our Culture of Belonging
Every individual's relationship within UConn Health is unique and deserves the utmost respect, understanding, and care. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion goes beyond medical excellence. It's a promise to create an environment where differences are not only accepted but embraced. Through our culture of belonging, we create a welcoming and safe space for the patients under our care, the UConn Health workforce, and the citizens of Connecticut we serve.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Our Four Pillars of Care
Clinical Enterprise
Our approach to clinical education and care is rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We work closely with each patient to understand their distinct needs, and offer free 24/7 interpreter services for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), who are deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired, or have special communication needs. Our mobile-first approach to communications and resources lets you access your medical information from your phone, no computer necessary.
Education
UConn produces the most medical students and dentists in the state, most of whom remain in Connecticut’s health system. Our Graduate Medical Education program's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is central to a culture of collaboration and teamwork, which is why we focus on maintaining a diverse residency program and workforce. We offer Internal Medicine residents a Health Equity Track to encourage the next generation of leaders, in addition to our five employee resource groups addressing our residents and fellows’ lived experiences.
Research
Our research and clinical trials address the needs of diverse and underrepresented groups. As academic leaders, we’re helping to spearhead best practices for enrolling patients and subjects from these backgrounds. Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring that our established programs accurately reflect the diversity of various groups and populations that we serve.
Community Engagement
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion carries over to our greater community, too. Urban Service Track students go on-site improving access to basic care and other UConn Health resources through Connecticut Area AHEC. Medical and dental students at UConn also spend time throughout the year helping with screenings, awareness events, celebrations, and moments of recognition.
Departmental Initiatives & Achievements
As part of our system-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion every UConn Health unit and department has its own approach that is aligned to our institutional approach. Here are some milestones we have achieved on the path to bolstering our DEI standards across the board:
Top 10
We’re one of the top 10 most diverse medical schools in the nation.
24%
Nearly 24% of medical students are from underrepresented groups in medicine.
46.8%
46.8% of medical school faculty are women and 9.2% are minorities.
A Wide Range of Programs & Partnerships
Our approach hinges on collaborative engagement across the community, fostering co-creative partnerships that extend throughout the state to connect individuals with essential resources, from housing to phone access. Our approach is grounded in the use of disaggregated data sources that drive targeted interventions.
UConn Health’s extensive range of programs and partnerships support our efforts. These include population health initiatives, the VESUM program (a pipeline for students of color), and the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs for recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups. Through the UConn Health Disparities Institute, we use data-driven strategies to help eliminate health disparities and advance health equity among Connecticut's minority and medically underserved populations.
Together, these programs play a crucial role in elevating our state’s health and diversity standards.
Closing Gaps in Healthcare
Health inequities drive health disparities. This persists as a top healthcare issue across both our state and the nation. We believe our celebration and wholehearted embrace of diversity, Equity, is critical to our mission as an anchor institution for the state of Connecticut, positioning us as a role model for other medical institutions to follow.