Diversity and Inclusion
This program is proud to embrace diversity in a way that welcomes and cares for anyone and everyone who walks in our door with compassion and without judgment. We know it makes our clinic, our community and our patients stronger and healthier. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment for our patients, staff, residents and faculty. We want every human being who steps into our care community to feel they can come as they are no matter their race, sexual orientation, physical abilities, country of origin, religion, gender identity, ethnicity or other aspect of their identity.
Our goal is to recruit and train residents who are culturally competent, representative of the patients we serve and passionate about growing their skills and knowledge in how best to provide holistic care for the patients and communities they serve now and in the future. We value a holistic approach to recruitment and have embraced efforts to reduce implicit bias in our recruitment processes.
Our clinic and residency program have cared for vulnerable, underserved populations in our community since the inception of the residency program over 40 years ago. Our patient population has evolved as our team has risen to meet emerging needs in our community, including care for our local refugee and new immigrant population, unhoused individuals and those with substance use disorder desiring MOUD. We care for women, including providing contraceptive and/or other desired reproductive health services. We provide PrEP for those at risk of acquiring HIV and we welcome our LGBTQIA+ community and provide needed services such as gender affirming hormone management for transgender individuals.
Our patients need and expect us to meet them where they are in any given moment with compassionate, non-judgmental and top-quality evidence-based care across the entire spectrum of care. Thus, no matter their (or our) background or vulnerabilities, we expect our physicians to learn and apply evidence-based medicine across the entire breadth of Family Medicine and to care for these vulnerable patients and the multitude of conditions they may have or challenges they may face. We support each other in striving for excellence for each of our patients and our community every day.
Visit the Medical College of Wisconsin Office of Diversity and Inclusion website: https://www.mcw.edu/departments/office-of-diversity-and-inclusion
Advocacy
In an effort to best serve our diverse patients and our communities, our faculty and residents are actively engaged and involved in advocacy efforts at local, state and national levels. Examples:
- Active faculty and resident engagement in Medical College of Wisconsin’s work toward being an anti-racist organization
- Town Board, City Council and County Board meetings
- Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians legislative committee leadership
- American Academy of Family Physicians advocacy efforts in Washington DC
- Doctor Day at the Capitol (annual multispecialty effort; multiple residents attend)
- Community committees
- Educational presentations to school-age children
- Community presentations
Pictured below are Program Director, Beth Menzel, MD along with residents Max Bunchek, MD and program graduates Michael Van Able, DO and Shelby VanRossum, MD at Doctor Day 2024 at the state capitol in Madison, WI
