Important Issues

In December, the MSDC Board of Directors approved the creation of a new task force on unconscious bias in medicine in the District. Today, the task force is pleased to share its preliminary members and mission.

The task force is charged with examining if/how unconscious bias plays a role in medicine in the District of Columbia and what strategies can be used to combat its effects. The task force will interview leaders in this field - both medical and non-medical - and use this information to create a series of recommendations for physicians. As the professional society for physicians in the District, MSDC's task force will serve as importance guidance on how ALL physicians and health professionals can ensure their medical practice is as free from unconscious bias as possible.

MSDC welcomes any physician interested in this task force to join and participate. For more information please contact Robert Hay Jr. at 202.466.1800 x101 or hay@msdc.org. 

The task force will be chaired by Dr. Matthew Lecuyer, MD, MPH. Dr. Lecuyer is an emergency medicine physician at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC. Current task force members include:

• Tamika Augste, MD; Chair OBGYB Clinical Practice Council, MedStar
• Kim Bullock, MD, FAAP; Chair, MSDC Task Force on Family Violence
• Laurie Duncan, MBBS, FACP, MS; Member, MSDC Executive Committee and MSDC Physician Health Program
• Isela Melendez-Carpio, M.Ed., Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Alicia Khan; Medical Student
• Marjorie Williams, MD
• J. Desiree Pineda, MD, FACP; President, MSDC (ex officio)

Information on meeting schedules and procedures will follow in the coming weeks.