Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Explore Our DEI Resources!
Native American Heritage Month: Statement from Henry Randall, MD, MBA, FACS, DEI Officer
November is Native American Heritage Month. At ASTS, we honor the contributions of Native American communities and reaffirm our commitment to addressing inequities in organ transplantation. Native Americans face significant barriers to accessing life-saving transplant; in 2023, Native Americans accounted for only 0.8% of all transplants, compared to 50.3% for Non-Hispanic White individuals (source: HHS Office of Minority Health). This statistic underscores the need for community-driven efforts to close these gaps. We celebrate the dedication and work of healthcare professionals, advocates, and researchers who are working to reduce disparities and advocating for the healthcare needs of Native American communities.
We would also like to acknowledge that the ASTS national office, located in Arlington, VA, is on the traditional homelands of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) people, who were the original stewards of the land. We encourage you to learn more about the native populations of your own community, which you can find on Native Land Digital.
Henry Randall, MD, MBA, FACS
DEI Officer, ASTS Council
November was Native American Heritage Month
We're featuring stories from members of the transplant community!
Silena Thomas
Hear from Silena Thomas, Patient Navigator at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ, about her experience working with American Indian and Alaska Native populations in need of transplants.
2024 Celebrations Calendar
January
- Poverty in America Awareness Month
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
- January 15 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
February
- Black History Month
- February 4 - Rosa Parks Day
- February 10 - Lunar New Year
- American Heart Month
- February 14 - National Donor Day
- February 24 - Lantern Festival
March
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- March 8 - International Women's Day
- March 21 - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- March 22 - Ramadan
- March 25 - International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery
- March 31 - International Transgender Day of Visibility
April
- Arab American Awareness Month
- Diversity Month
- National Donate Life Month
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- National Deaf History Month
May
- Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Haitian Heritage Month
- Indian Heritage Month
- Jewish-American Heritage Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- Speech-Language-Hearing Month
- May 6 - Holocaust Memorial Day - Yom HaShoah
- May 21 - World Day for Cultural Diversity
June
- Caribbean American Heritage Month
- Pride Month
- June 19 - Juneteenth
July
- Disability Pride Month
- July 18 - South Asian Heritage Month begins
August
- National Minority Donor Awareness Month
- August 9 - International Day of the World's Indigenous People
- August 26 - Women's Equality Day
September
- September 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month begins
October
- LGBTQ+ History Month
- National Disability Employment
- October 2 - 4 - Rosh Hashanah
- October 11 - National Coming Out Day
- October 11 - 12 - Yom Kippur
- October 14 - Indigenous People's Day
November
- Native American Heritage Month
- November 1 - Diwali
- November 13-19 - Transgender Awareness Week
- November 16 - International Day for Tolerance
December
- Universal Human Rights Month
- December 1 - World AIDS Day
- December 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- December 10 - International Human Rights Day
Funding Opportunities
SBAS Intuitive Career Development Award
The Society of Black Academic Surgeons
The SBAS Intuitive Career Development Award spans 2 years and provides $100,000 to the awardee to support direct costs for research.
To be eligible, an applicant must be an active, dues-paying SBAS member, plus:
- A medical school faculty member as of January 1, 2025
- Have at least 20% protected research effort
- And can never have been the PI for a federal K- or R-level award
Visiting Student Diversity Scholarship for General Surgery
The 2024 cycle has closed - stay tuned for more information about the 2025 grant cycle.
The Thomas Jefferson University - Sidney Kimmel Medical College Visiting Student Diversity Scholarship Program for 4th year medical students who are interested in Academic Surgery. The program will be offered to several eligible students in the early fall of the academic year 2024-2025.
Learn more!ASTS Socio Economic & Racial Disparity (SERD) Grant
2024 grant cycle closed - stay tuned for more information on the 2025 grant cycle
The SERD Grant supports innovative research in addressing health disparities in transplantation. Proposals should aim at addressing and decreasing disparities in transplantation. Examples may include, increasing access in transplantation for populations facing disparities, increasing minority donation, and improving transplant outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.
$25,000 per year for two years
Learn more!
Additional Resources
Explore more of our resources related to DEI!
.png?sfvrsn=bd1c4ed3_0 "group (6)")
.png?sfvrsn=721b4ed3_0 "Website Cards (53)")
.png?sfvrsn=e3e54bd3_0 "Support")
Peer Support Program
If you've experienced an adverse event or just need some extra support, complete our anonymous referral form to be connected to a trained peer supporter.
.png?sfvrsn=bf014ed3_0 "Website Cards (55)")
Boldly Against Racism Campaign
In 2021, ASTS formed the Boldly Against Racism Campaign to address disparities. Learn more about the initiative!