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Access training, assessment tools, and resources designed to build a more equitable healthcare environment. Find practical solutions for implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion in your work.
Explore our specialized centers and research initiatives dedicated to addressing health disparities and advancing equity-focused innovation in healthcare delivery and education.
Learn how we partner with diverse communities to create inclusive, culturally responsive healthcare services and meaningful engagement opportunities for patients and community members.
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The Women in Medicine & Science (WIMS) Committee invites you to join them for the next session of their 2025–2026 Women Faculty Leadership Series on Building Effective Teams. These workshops are open to all, and they aim to foster career development, well-being, and leadership skills among women faculty in the School of Medicine.
Join the Office of Faculty Affairs and WIMS for an overview of childcare resources available to the UW community and hear from a faculty panel on their experiences with childcare. Different childcare options such as UW-based daycares, nannies, au pairs, and summer camps. Panelists will also share how they identified what kind of childcare was the right fit for both their family and their career.
Leslie Walker, MD Professor & Chair, Department of Pediatrics Associate Dean, UW School of Medicine Chief Academic Officer/Senior Vice President, Seattle Children’s
In this session you will hear from a leader who has lead teams across Seattle Children’s Hospital and the UW School of Medicine. In addition to sharing her experience Dr. Walker will highlight strategies for building effective teams across systems and next steps for strengthening your teams.
A nationally representative sample of women in the United States polled in March 2025 by the AAMC Center for Health Justice revealed that:
A large majority of women (84%) trust the health care system (defined as clinicians, hospitals and other health care facilities, and insurance plans). However, Gen Zers, millennials (born 1981-2012) (80%), and Black women (75%) expressed less trust compared with Gen Xers, baby boomers (born 1946-1980) (86%), and white women (84%).
Most women (81%) trust reproductive health policies developed by the medical community, but only two-thirds of women (65%) said the same about such policies developed by insurance companies.
Community-based organizations are the most trusted sources of reproductive health information (81%), while social media platforms are the least trusted (41%).
Learn more about this study in this recent article here.
Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Terry for being honored alongside Dr. Anita Connell as they were both inducted into the Iconic Black Women Collection at the Wonder of Women International Gallery, aka the ‘W.O.W.’ Gallery this past month. The concept for the space was formulated in 2019 by Veronica Very and Hiawatha Davis to center healing, provide education, and inspiration for all rooted in Black culture and the empowerment of Black women leaders in our local and broader communities. The space is more than a gallery, serving as the connective link between history and those that are paving it every day through philanthropic efforts.
Michelle Terry, MD – Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Medicine – UW & Seattle Children’s
“Being included in the Iconic Black Women Collection, created by Hiawatha Davis and Veronica Very, is an honor that reaches deep. It is not only a mark of personal recognition but a tribute to the many women whose steadiness and light have guided my path. I see this honor as a mirror—reflecting the mentors, colleagues, and patients who stood with me and helped me find my way. Along my journey, I’ve drawn strength from women who walked with purpose, spoke plainly and bravely, and gave their best even when their recognition was not guaranteed. Their example taught me that leadership is about listening, lifting others, and making space for all who would like to contribute. Women have modeled resilience and vision for me, starting from my earliest memories of my grandmother and mother who prioritized the arc of my education, to my many mentors in medicine and education who encouraged me through various opportunities and responsibilities, to the next generation of faculty and learners who challenge me to keep growing. This recognition is a reminder for me to keep using my voice and influence to support a more equitable, inclusive, and inspired future for it resonates as both a celebration and a call to action, reminding us of Black women’s foundational roles in healing.”
Owners of the W.O.W. Gallery, Veronica Very (far left) and Hiawatha Davis (far right), standing with awardees, Dr. Connell and Dr. Terry.
Learn about Dr. Connell at the profile below originally shared by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity
For Veronica Very, the W.O.W. Gallery symbolizes a deep personal mission discovered from her own journey navigating the medical system as a Black woman. Suffering from years of debilitating chronic pain and few answers, she was connected to Dr. Anita Connell, one of the first Black OB/GYN’s in Seattle, who not only addressed the source of her health issues, but saw her beyond just a patient, but as a Black woman seeking healing and recognition in a field that lacks representation. Very’s fervor for service is quintessential to her life’s work, to uplift and liberate Black women through restorative practices that prioritize wellness in a world that demands a significant and disproportionate amount of emotional and physical labor from them.
Her life and business partner, Hiawatha Davis, infuses effervescent energy into the space with vibrant art pieces exuding the essence of Black life and joy depicted through radiant hues that embody vitality. The collection arose initially from an outreach event to learn more about Black women leaders on social media eventually leading to over 500 submissions across the country and an ever-evolving art collection that is continuing to flourish, nearing 100 pieces currently. The Iconic Black Women Collection represents Black women that have traversed the complicated facets of being the first to break barriers in spaces that historically have excluded them, leaving an indelible mark in their careers, communities, and on the lives of those they meet with intention. Very intends for all that enter the space to experience and observe what is means ‘to see oneself’ through the lens of others. Solace can be found in the healing rooms that offer respite from the crowded dialogue of our internal and relentless to-do lists.
Very and Davis showcase that the responsibility of building resilient and prosperous communities begins with knowing ourselves first and offering to be the catalyst for that change. The responsibility of their positions and opportunities have not been lost on them, or the women they have highlighted from visionaries like Nikole Hannah-Jones, candid leaders like Jasmine Crockett, and all the audacious Black women in our lives that encompass living history through their work.
Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Professor of Biochemistry, University of Washington
The UW Women in Medicine & Sciences (WIMS) Committee is excited to announce Dr. Tricia Serio as our keynote speaker for Women Faculty Day 2025. Dr. Serio joined the University of Washington as provost in 2023. She also holds a faculty appointment in the UW School of Medicine’s Department of Biochemistry. As the UW’s academic and budget officer, Dr. Serio focuses her leadership on core areas to advance our academic mission.
Our 2025 theme is “Advocacy, Allyship, & Action: Building a Future for Women in Medicine & Science”. A planned agenda for Women Faculty Day can be found below and features talks from UW SoM faculty members as well as interactive community networking opportunities. Register now to join us!
Women Faculty Day focuses on the experiences of and building community between women faculty in academic medicine, though UW Medicine community members of all genders are welcome to join. Our annual Women Faculty Day is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our School of Medicine faculty who identify as women as well as come together with colleagues of any gender to promote equity and inclusion in our work environments. For questions about this event, please contact OFA Program Manager, Kat McGhee Drummond.
We look forward to seeing you at this year’s celebration!
Black women die from cancer at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group. The American Cancer Society is beginning a 30-year study to investigate why.
Feelings of inclusion, connection, and trust with colleagues and managers are harder to come by for Black women due to the historical and sociocultural context of the U.S. workplace, and more broadly, our country. Research has shown that diverse teams need a foundation of psychological safety — the belief that everyone can pitch risky ideas and challenge the status quo without retaliation or judgment — to excel in the workplace. View the article here, Harvard Business Review.
Unveiling the Hidden Struggles: New Research Reveals Discrimination Faced by Asian American Women in the U.S.
” Largely, Asian American women are thought of as faceless, quiet and invisible, or as sexual objects. In addition to the myth of the ‘Model Minority’ and the ‘Forever Foreigner,’ these depictions and others have persisted in the media and popular culture. What are the current experiences of discrimination in terms of racism and sexism for Asian American women?”
Join Sharissa Sebastian, a Career Success Coach for Women in Corporate Leadership, learn how she helps other women fully embrace their value, gain confidence, build meaningful professional relationships, and create a career and life they truly love.
“Sharissa Sebastian is a Career Success Coach for Women in Corporate Leadership. She’s also a writer for Forbes and the Huffington Post, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, author, and a radio show host. Her passion is helping women fully own their value, step into their confidence, get career clarity, build strong professional relationships and have a career and life they love. Her 13+ year corporate career, primarily in technology leadership, led her on a journey to discover joy and fulfillment in her career and she now helps others do the same through coaching, speaking, writing and corporate engagements.”
