Jos茅 E. Rodr铆guez, MD, FAAFP, has been appointed Associate Vice President (AVP) for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) at 麻豆学生精品版. He has served as Interim Associate Vice President since August 2018. Rodr铆guez is a professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and has extensive background in diversity work in the health care arena. In addition to his HEDI position, he is a Family Physician and Associate Medical Director at U of U Health鈥檚 Redwood Health Center.
The appointment, effective March 1, 2020, was announced by Michael L. Good, MD, CEO, U of U Health; Senior Vice President for Health Sciences; and Dean of the School of Medicine. 鈥淚 am pleased Dr. Rodr铆guez will continue his leadership of the office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,鈥 Good said. 鈥淎s interim director, Jos茅 proved his deep commitment to enhancing the success of diverse faculty, students, and staff, as part of our broader goal to enrich the educational experiences and success of all members of 麻豆学生精品版.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to work with such a talented team of committed professionals. It鈥檚 clear to me that 麻豆学生精品版 cares deeply about health equity, diversity, and inclusion,鈥 Rodr铆guez stated. 鈥淥ur office will be working with all of our schools and colleges, the library, and our hospitals and clinics to formulate and implement plans to meet each unit鈥檚 HEDI goals.鈥
Rodr铆guez recognizes that U of U Health has an opportunity to create a workforce prepared to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse patient population, providing health care that is equitable and reduces health disparities. His intent is to harness the talents of the U of U Health community to become a nationwide leader in health equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Prior to joining the faculty at the U, Rodr铆guez co-chaired the Council on Diversity and Inclusion and co-directed the Center for Underrepresented Minorities (URM) in Academic Medicine at Florida State University College of Medicine. He is an accomplished academic, publishing numerous articles on the importance of underrepresented minorities in academic medicine. Rodr铆guez received his MD degree at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and his BA at Brigham Young University.