Winter 2024 (Volume 34, Number 4)

Highlights of the Year from the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

By Nicole Johnson, MD, FRCPC

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Members of the CRA EDI Task Force (from left to right): Amorell Saunders N'Daw, Dr. Susan Humphrey-Murto, Dr. Alan Zhou, Dr. Nicole Johnson, and Erin Stewart.

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force continues to work with the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) CEO and Board to enhance inclusivity within the CRA.

This year we have begun meetings with our committee chairs to identify areas of collaboration between the committees and the Task Force to incorporate EDI into our daily work. We have seen the positive impact of these conversations, with EDI principles interwoven into the scientific program of the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) and planning contracts for the annual meeting. With the support of our EDI consultant Amorell Saunders N’Daw, the review of the employee handbook from an EDI lens has been completed and recommendations are in the implementation stage. At the last annual scientific meeting, the Task Force presented an engaging workshop on “Cross-Cultural Communication: Embracing the Diversity of your Rheumatology Patients.”

The CRA EDI Special Project, sponsored through an unrestricted grant from Pfizer Canada, has produced three webinar series on healthcare inequities in rheumatology. The first of our engaging speakers was Dr. Grace Wright, President of the Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR), introducing principles of EDI in rheumatology. The second speaker was Dr. Lynden (Lindsay) Crowshoe, a Blackfoot primary care physician and researcher, who spoke on health equity action for Indigenous, First Nations and Inuit communities. The third speaker, Dr. Katherine Smart, a pediatrician in Whitehorse and a past-president of the Canadian Medical Association, addressed health equity considerations for rural and remote communities. The recordings of these presentations are still accessible through the members’ portal of the CRA website and are accredited for MOC credits. There will be infographics developed for knowledge translation on the actionable steps from these webinars.

The EDI Special Project collaborated with Dr. Cheryl Barnabe and her CIORA research team to facilitate French translation of a free online educational resource on health equity in rheumatology, which has been launched on the University of Calgary website, ecme.ucalgary.ca/programs/equity-in-rheumatology-care/. CRA members and Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) members have exclusive access for which the login information is accessible in the members’ portal of the CRA.

At this year’s Annual Scientific Meeting keep an eye out for the inaugural award for Best Abstract on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The award will highlight the abstract’s relevance to equity, diversity and inclusion, inclusive study design and diverse representation in study populations, evidence of cultural humility and impact on equity.

Our next steps for the Task force will be to continue enhancing our advisory role to the CEO and board. The Equity Corner in the President’s newsletter will continue to highlight EDI activity and resources. A report of the Task Force’s progress has been produced for the CRA CEO and board to review. We will survey the CRA membership on their views on future desired EDI action for the organization, and move us towards an EDI road map for the future.

Nicole Johnson, MD, FRCPC
Pediatric Rheumatologist, Clinical Associate Professor,
University of Calgary
Chair, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, CRA
Calgary, Alberta