January 14, 2021
One of the realities of the world in which we now live—dominated by COVID-19 and accelerating conversations about addressing structural racism in health care and in our country broadly—is that change, while not easy, is natural and necessary.
That’s certainly true in how to respond to the incredible stressors our country’s clinicians are facing head-on: the continuing pandemic and enduring systemic racism. What do clinicians need to address these stressors now and what will they need in the years to come? The answers to these questions will have obvious implications for the kind of leadership development opportunities we need to be prepared to offer them.
In this context, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has decided to make significant changes to its leadership development for clinicians. As a result—as you might have heard by now—the 2020 cohort of Clinical Scholars will be our last under this program’s structure and at the national program center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In October, we introduced you to our fifth cohort of 35 fellows from eight teams engaged in community projects all across the country, from Washington state to Colorado and Louisiana to Virginia and New York. Read more about them here. The Foundation is committed to working with us to make sure these fellows have a rewarding experience through the end of their fellowships in August 2023.
We know this news will be a surprise to some and a disappointment to many. Since the current Clinical Scholars program began 2016, we have been privileged to support the leadership development of 163 fellows across five cohorts. Our first two cohorts, now alumni, are continuing to make important differences in communities all over the country. We know their contributions to building a Culture of Health will be ongoing. We invite you to review products of their community projects, published here.
In fulfilling our commitment to our current fellows and our alumni, we will continue to focus on equipping health care providers across disciplines with leadership tools centered in equity, diversity, and inclusion to transform their careers and the health of their communities. We have every confidence that the mission of Clinical Scholars will endure beyond 2023 through the passion, dedication, and leadership of our fellows, both past and present.
We look forward to supporting our current fellows in the exciting and important work on which they have embarked. Over the next three years, we will continue to share stories about how their work is addressing the critical health challenges of our time. We will also continue to support and follow the work of our alumni and their contributions to building a Culture of Health.
As always, we invite you to join us on this journey.
Related Information
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