Mission, Aims, and Diversity

Mission: Our mission is to provide exemplary medical care and ensure that our residents become capable, competent primary care physicians. We aim to heal, educate, and improve systems of care while treating patients and caregivers with respect and compassion. 

Our residents are dedicated and prepared to serve our diverse local community, including veterans, the underserved, and others in a variety of workplace settings.

Aims:

  • Develop humanistic, compassionate, respectful physicians that deliver superb medical care to a diverse population
  • Promote social equity by addressing not only patient issues, but also social determinants of health that adversely impact our community
  • Motivate physicians to continue a lifetime of learning, self-reflection, and professional growth
  • Prepare physicians to function in a new paradigm as a leader of patient aligned care teams, providing patient care delivery using innovative tools and leveraging the strengths of multidisciplinary teams.
  • Empower physicians to prioritize health promotion and disease prevention, with an awareness towards the community and population they serve.
  • Encourage individuals to invest in their own health and wellness.
  • Prepare physicians to actively participate in evaluating and improving healthcare delivery in various settings.
  • Train a group of physicians to serve the needs of our nation’s veterans
  • Train physicians to advance the art and science of medicine and healthcare

Diversity Statement:

The Florida international University (FIU)-Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (MVAHCS) program is committed to provide the highest quality educational and training experience to its residents, faculty, and staff in a nurturing and supportive environment. In doing so, we are committed to ensuring that training and services are delivered in a manner that is reflective and supportive of diversity as it relates to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, nationality, military status, spiritual and cultural identity.

We commit ourselves to building a residency program whose members represent and embrace diverse cultures, background and life experiences that reflect the multicultural nature of South Florida and the Global Society. Our goal is to build an intellectually vibrant climate that sustains the inclusiveness and engagement of our diverse community. We will implement a “diversity in all planning” approach that incorporates diversity as a primary value and evidence-based approaches to increasing diversity and inclusion throughout all aspects of the program. To this end, we will:

  • Continuously assess and improve the institutional culture and climate specifically related to diversity; and implement regular diversity trainings based on the findings of this diversity assessment.
  • Utilize the individual talents and attributes of our diverse workplace environment to improve communication, collaboration and innovation among employees, patients and caregivers.
  • Promote resident appreciation of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Define specific high visibility roles for resident engagement in diversity, equity, and inclusivity processes.
  • Implement evidence-based best practices regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring practices.

Our Recruitment Committee is comprised of a diverse group of individuals as it relates to gender, socioeconomic status, gender identity, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, nationality, military status, sexual orientation, spiritual and cultural identity.  FIU and the MVAHCS encourage and expect the entire program faculty and staff model the values as expressed in our mission and to commit to recruit, retain, and support residents, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of our global society. Additionally, the combined resources of our two respected organizations enables us to include representation of administrators, residents, and faculty who, while not official members of the Committee, may provide additional assistance in their areas of interest and expertise.

Our faculty and administrative staff are comprised of a widely diverse group of individuals.  In the process of creating this program, we have men and women represented equally on the faculty.  In addition, our faculty and administrative staff represent the multicultural society of our community including representation of multiple faiths, people of color, North and South Americans, Caribbean islanders, Asian, and other geographic areas, and members of the LGBTQ community as well. FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) has an active Diversity Committee and diversity policies mandating color, gender, sexual preference blind recruitment.  Equally important is FIU’s HWCOM commitment to develop and recruit leadership from historically underrepresented minorities including people of color and women.