AGA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
This Organizational Statement was last updated by the AGA Governing Board, (6) VOTED, June 2023.
Mission
To further AGA’s strategic direction and commitment to equity by meeting the needs of underrepresented members of AGA, to include the spectrum of diversity as defined by race, gender, culture, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference.
The specific intent of the committee is:
- To foster and promote involvement, advancement, and recognition of underrepresented diverse constituents.
- Through policy recommendations and programs, to assist AGA members’ ability in addressing barriers to access and utilization of health-care services among diverse patient populations, with attention to linguistic, racial, cultural, religious, sexual preference, age, and economic diversity.
- To convene two meetings annually to solicit comments, ideas and proposals from the constituency for further consideration by the committee.
Committee Structure
The committee consists of eight members (including a chair), plus a trainee, and are to be selected for their interest in issues that affect underrepresented members. Four members shall be appointed at-large and three members shall be appointed from among members of AGA and AGA Institute committees and the AGA Institute Council. A governing board member (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall serve as a liaison to the committee and shall attend all committee meetings; additional members of the governing board (who shall not count against the maximum membership) may be assigned as team members to the committee but are not intended to attend any committee meetings. A chair-elect (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall be appointed one year before the end of the term of the chair.
A member from the equity project advisory board (EPAB) (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall serve as an advisory role to the committee from FY 2024 – 2025.
Appointment terms of all committee members shall be for two years, with the opportunity to be renewed for an additional year based on attendance and performance. One-third of the maximum terms shall expire annually.
The committee chair is authorized to create small, temporary subgroups consisting of members and nonmembers of the committee to address policy development and oversight of specific issues within the committee’s mission. Costs of all such subgroups must be included in the committee’s approved budget.
Special Qualifications, Committee Chair
- Serves as an advocate on relevant issues.
- Advises the AGA Governing Board on relevant issues where committee involvement is not feasible.
Committee Functions
- Develops policy and programmatic recommendations to achieve the committee’s
missions. - Assesses AGA’s strategic directions to reflect the interests and concerns of its diverse members.
- Advocates for more involvement of diverse members in all aspects of AGA activities; issues an annual report to the AGA Governing Board.
- Works with other committees and the AGA Institute Council to affect the mission of the committee; assesses the effectiveness of such programs annually and reports therein to the AGA Governing Board.
Meetings
The committee is authorized to hold two meetings per year, once in September and one virtual meeting before Digestive Disease Week®, and teleconferences as needed.
Members
- Joan A. Culpepper-Morgan, MD (chair)
- Samuel Akinyeye, MD
- Kim Barrett, PhD, AGAF (governing board liaison)
- Manuel Braga Neto, MD
- Alberto Caminero Fernandez, PhD
- Victor Chedid, MD
- Jeremy Louissant, MD (trainee)
- Kenika Robinson, MD
- Diahann Seaman, MD
- Dharma Sunjaya, MD
