ACCOUNTABILITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY & EQUITY
A commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity is critical to the
practice of medicine and the provision of high quality patient care. The
mission of SLS is to promote excellence in patient care by providing an open
forum for surgeons and other health professionals interested in minimally
invasive surgery and therapy through the introduction, discussion and
dissemination of new and established ideas, techniques and therapies in minimal
access surgery. Without a dedicated commitment to the advancement of diversity,
inclusion and equity across health care, such a mission cannot be approached in
a way that ensures the needs of all individuals are met such that they are able
to thrive. Efforts and initiatives are needed to increase diversity in the
medical workforce and ensuring that workforce and leadership representation
reflects the diversity of the US population. Bias and discrimination based upon
background, race, color, age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender
expression, genetic information, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
religion or veteran status should be opposed.
SLS pledges a commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity. SLS recognizes
that efforts and initiatives are needed to increase diversity in the medical
workforce, that the pipeline of underrepresented students entering graduate
school, medical school, residency programs and advanced fellowships needs to be
increased, and that inclusive curricula in undergraduate, graduate and
continuing medical education needs to address the unique health concerns of
underrepresented individuals.
SLS supports the eradication of bias, the development of policies that promote
diversity and inclusion, and diverse educational programming. Opportunities for
structural change include: joint collaboration with educational institutions
and like-minded organizations, development of mentorship networks and resources,
facilitation of educational opportunities for basic and advanced training in
MIS and robotic techniques and technologies, and efforts to increase representation
of skin of color, others underrepresented in medicine, and advancement of women
in medicine and surgery, among others.