CHARGE

The HECC develops, implementis, and maintains processes to minimize bias in the Stritchcurriculum. Through expertise and commitment of its chair and members, the HECC: 

• Facilitates proactive curriculum development attuned to potential bias.
• Facilitates faculty development by collecting and updating resources for creating curricular content that reduces biased portrayals of populations.
• Advises and consults with any faculty developing new materials for sessions in the required curriculum.
• Implements and maintains a feedback process on reports of bias in the curriculum received through avenues including course/clerkship evaluations and the online application for real-time reporting of potential curricular bias. The process includes:
  1. Review of curricular materials in question.
  2. Communication with course or clerkship directors.
  3. Direct communication with faculty delivering content.
  4. Provide resources to course/clerkship directors and faculty for review and exploration.
  5. Review of response to feedback. The feedback process may be augmented by engaging faculty who exhibit “best practices” and by utilizing readily available resources (e.g., checklist model).
• Review (mnthly) the online application of real-time reporting of potential curricular bias.
• Help identify existing content in implicit bias, cross-cultural communication, and social and structural determinants of health in order to determine gaps and areas for growth.
• Liaise for promoting concepts that address health equity and social determinants of health within the curriculum as well as supporting faculty in their development around equity topics.
• Consult with course/clerkship directors around faculty engagement and feedback.
• Remain current with best practices and strategies for reducing bias in the curriculum and implicit bias in future physicians.
• Regularly review and address national standards in bias and inclusion in medical education, remain in conversation with Stritch Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the diversity committees within the Health System/GME, and anti-racism initiatives within Loyola University Chicago.

MEMBERSHIP

Chair - Serves as a voting member of the CCA as per the Operational Guidelines, will provide the CCA regular updates on the proceedings of the subcommittee via meeting minutes and relevant discussion during monthly meetings.

Faculty - It is recommended that four faculty members serve, each for a three-year term.

Physicians-in-Training - Five physicians-in-training will be selected, one each representing years 1, 2 and 3 of the curriculum and two students representing year 4 of the curriculum. Physicians-in-training will serve through graduation.

Loyola Resident Physicians - One or two residents may serve.  

PROCESSES

Reports reviewed at monthly meetings may come from several sources, including:

1. Real-time reporting system
2. Course/Clerkship Director (CD) identification within course and clerkship evaluations
3. Other student or faculty input

The committee chair will monitor real-time reports on bias and solicit committee recommendations between meetings. 

Members may be required to view curricular materials prior to meetings and on an ad hoc basis.

Members will collaborate with ongoing curricular developments and enhancements of the curriculum to help to address potential bias and explore opportunities to implement social determinants of health into courses and clerkships. The chair will help identify these opportunities through membership of the CCA.

The committee will discuss recommendations on feedback and resources for the faculty when there is identified bias in curricular offerings, and follow these general steps:

1. The committee will notify the course and clerkship director in this process.
2. A committee representative will communicate with the faculty identified in the report, and discuss various resources available to them.
3. The committee will work with the Course or Clerkship Director (CD) to establish a timeline for an update on materials. For example, a one-year timeline may be appropriate for courses, or three rotation cycles for clerkships. Reminders will be sent to Course and Clerkship leadership.
4. The reported material is viewed again next year or cycle by the CD; the CD reports to back to the committee.

HOW TO REPORT - STUDENTS