Vanderbilt Radiology Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Spottswood, M.D., was awarded the Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Faculty award at the 16th Annual Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., lecture last week.
The award, presented by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Senior Associate Dean for Diversity Affairs André Churchwell, M.D., recognized individuals who have made significant contributions to enhance diversity and increase opportunities for underrepresented minorities pursuing careers in medicine.
“Dr. Spottswood, along with her brilliant clinical skills, has a passion for promoting diversity and inclusion in the medical center environment,” said Dr. Churchwell. “It has been both reassuring and exciting to watch her help change the culture with her chair, Dr. Omary, to be more committed to diversity and inclusion.”
“Dr. Spottswood has been integral in the recruitment and development of underrepresented minorities and women in our department and the field of radiology,” added Reed Omary, M.D., M.S., Carol D. and Henry P. Pendergrass Professor and Chair, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. “I am thrilled to congratulate her for receiving this prestigious and well deserved honor.”
Dr. Spottswood leads the department’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Women in Radiology initiatives with support from Drs. Lucy Spalluto and Andrea Birch. Together, they aim to create a culturally diverse and inclusive environment for faculty, trainees and staff, and to equip them with the necessary resources to serve the Medical Center’s diverse patient population.
She also serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the VUMC Office of Inclusion and Health Equity, whose mission is to ensure that the workforce has the training necessary to deliver culturally aware care, evaluate and improve cross-cultural patient satisfaction, expand inclusion and health equity efforts, and serve as a research unit for the identification and elimination of racial/ethnic health disparities.
Click here read more about the lecture and award presentation via the VUMC Reporter.
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About Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D.*
Dr. Levi Watkins Jr., MD’70, has made significant contributions toward increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the sciences. A distinguished physician and researcher, in 1966 he became the first African American student to be admitted to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He graduated in 1970 and was selected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He continued his training at Johns Hopkins and Harvard. Watkins embodies the attributes important in serving as a renowned role model for those who pursue careers in medicine and the biomedical sciences. At the time of his death in 2015, he had retired just two years earlier from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was a renowned professor of cardiac surgery.
*Source: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2017/09/13/16th-annual-levi-watkins-jr-m-d-lecture-set-for-oct-10/
