Diversity and the creation of an interwoven culture of inclusion are core values of the Department of Pediatrics. Our goal is to be a collaborative environment that recognizes and celebrates our unique differences as well as our common interests, and where all our faculty, fellows, and residents thrive. We are committed to excellence in patient care, education, mentorship, and research.
Patient Care
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is in the heart of Nashville. As a tertiary care center in Middle Tennessee, it draws from a large patient population across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. The city of Nashville holds a historic place in the battle for civil rights, welcomes refugees from all corners of the world, and is home to a thriving and increasingly diverse community - a diversity reflected in the families we serve. We believe every child should have an equal opportunity at health and well-being, with access to care and to a medical home.
Education
The Department of Pediatrics houses offers numerous opportunities to teach and train future pediatricians through our comprehensive categorical pediatrics residency and fellowship programs. We are dedicated to developing leaders from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, disability, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our commitment includes training future pediatricians to address health inequities and to understand community needs through our Health Equity Curriculum and our advocacy opportunities. Additionally, we foster diversity and inclusion by supporting and encouraging medical students underrepresented in medicine (URiM) to pursue careers in pediatrics through our Visiting Scholars Program.
Mentorship
We are committed to supporting all our trainees through a structured mentorship program, including pairing our URiM trainees with mentors through our “Life Coach” program. One of our priorities has been to create collaborative and safe spaces such as The Collective, where faculty, fellows and trainees can build relationships and support each other. Support of faculty is crucial, as exemplified by our robust mentoring program sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development. This program focuses on providing junior faculty members and trainees with the tools to achieve their career goals, all the while building a network of mentors. All new faculty participate in an onboarding process, structured mentoring, and educational programs.
Research
Research is a driver of discovery and change. The Department of Pediatrics remains a national leader in research. In recent years, it has ranked consistently in the top ten pediatric departments within academic centers for NIH funding, as published by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Both faculty and trainees engage in research, and there are countless opportunities to collaborate within the department and across VUMC. Various projects are currently underway, including many centered around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Ongoing initiatives span across education, patient experience, individual health, population health, social determinants of health, and recruitment and retention processes.
We are dedicated to creating and supporting opportunities that advance health equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of Pediatrics.
Please reach out with any questions or for more information.
Sincerely,
Adriana Bialostozky, MD
Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Department of Pediatrics
Director of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Faculty Development
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics
Pronouns: she/her/ella
