Our Commitment
The Baylor College of Medicine Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery aims to provide the highest possible musculoskeletal care by acknowledging and addressing contributors to health disparities throughout the orthopedic medical and training communities. Our endeavors involve our entire department (residents, fellows, faculty and staff), and we are committed to making our department’s efforts for health equity focused, visible and effective.
Our department’s health equity mission is to, increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities in orthopedic surgery, promote culturally responsive medicine, establish inclusion efforts, and to create a community that embraces all socioeconomic backgrounds, race, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities.
Health Equity and Community Engagement Leadership
Melvyn A. Harrington Jr., M.D.
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Heath Equity and Community Engagement Committee
Omar Hammad Atassi, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Shawn Okechukwu Okpara, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery Resident
Gayleen Breeding, MBA
Administrator, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Donna Maura
Senior Practice Manager, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Shelby Moser, MUAPP
Senior Communications and Corporate Affairs Associate, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Health Equity Programs, Organizations and Initiatives
Shawn Okechukwu Okpara, M.D. - “I was involved in SNMA as a medical student, so it meant a lot to be able to go back to the AMEC conference as a resident and represent Baylor. Medical students from all over the country came to our booth and I was able to provide useful information on orthopedic surgery residency. This is a great opportunity to increase Baylor's diversity and inclusion and I'm looking forward to going again in the future.”
Visit the Student National Medical Association website.
Nth Dimensions works with medical students and focuses on increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities in orthopedic surgery. Nth Dimensions works with orthopedic surgeons from across the country to allow first-year medical students to shadow them in the clinical setting.
Visit the Nth Dimensions website.
Our department works with the Perry Initiative. This organization offers a hands-on learning experience for young, talented women interested in the fields of engineering, medicine and orthopedic surgery. The program is targeted toward high school, college and graduate-level female students.
Visit the Perry Initiative website.
Education Initiatives
“The lack of underrepresented minorities still is an issue across the board in the physician workforce, not just in orthopedic surgery. There are not enough underrepresented minorities in medical schools and residency programs,” states Dr. Harrington, professor of Orthopedic Surgery. Increasing the diversity of orthopedic surgeons is a top priority for our residency and fellowship programs.
Some articles highlighting this are below:
Other Health Disparities in Orthopedics Research
- The Orthopaedic Workforce Is Not as Diverse as the Population It Serves: Where Are the Minorities and the Women? (AOAC Critical Issues Symposium)
- Achieving a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Environment for the Black Orthopaedic Surgeon: Part 2: Obstacles Faced in Inclusion and Retention of Black Orthopaedic Residents
- The State of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: Analysis of a National Database from 2011-2017
