WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) is pleased to announce the Sullivan Alliance becoming a central program of AAHC. “This represents an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen the capacity and quality of the nation’s health workforce by increasing the numbers of ethnic and racial minorities in every area of healthcare and across all aspects of academic health centers,” said AAHC President and CEO, Dr. Steven L. Kanter.
He added, “AAHC and its members are dedicated to convening thought leaders and pursuing innovative approaches to carry on the critical work of the Sullivan Alliance.” Key features of the AAHC Sullivan Alliance will include engagement with other associations, sharing best practices and innovative programs, and an annual Sullivan Lecture.
Under the leadership of Louis W. Sullivan, MD, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, The Sullivan Alliance to Transform the Health Professions was organized in January 2005 to act on the reports and recommendations of the Sullivan Commission and the Institute of Medicine Committee on Institutional and Policy-Level Strategies for Increasing the Diversity of the U.S. Healthcare Workforce.
“We look forward to increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of health professionals in the United States through this important partnership with AAHC,” said Dr. Sullivan, adding, “the synergy between the Alliance’s goals and AAHC’s mission will drive new strategies that strengthen diversity initiatives.”
Academic health centers are deeply imbedded in their communities. They provide tertiary and quaternary healthcare services, specialize in the most complex and difficult diagnoses and treatments, serve as safety-net providers, and educate the next generation of health professionals. Their research leads to advances in understanding and treatment of diseases. Academic health centers also have a significant economic impact both locally and globally; they employ thousands of professionals and staff, while often producing original products and technologies that benefit millions of people worldwide.
“The vision and goals of both the Sullivan Alliance and AAHC perfectly align with the priorities of our AAHC members. Increasing diversity and equity in our clinical and academic missions will dramatically improve the health of the communities and populations that are served by our member institutions,” said AAHC Board Chair Robert Golden, MD, dean, UW School of Medicine and Public Health and vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
AAHC is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing health and well-being through values-based leadership of academic health centers.
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