Speaker
Naomi Takahashi
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health
Naomi Takahashi, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., is the director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health, where she supports DEI program expansion and strategic development. Takahashi’s passion for changing the structures and systems that perpetuate inequities in our community stems from growing up as a multiracial woman in Wisconsin, as well as having participated in a variety of workplace systems in Dane County from more direct-service roles as a clinical social worker, to acting as field faculty within the school of social work, to systems-level functions facilitating DEI organizational change.
Speaking in
Racism? Not in Our House!
In October 2021, UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and UW Health embarked on a new journey together, establishing a multifunctional SMPH Office of Diversity & Equity Transformation integrated with the existing UW Health Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This effort facilitates alignment and progress in areas such as learning and education, faculty and staff support, equity in systems, policies and processes, support for basic science departments and their training programs, and programmatic accountability.
This session will provide insights into how the role of the Office of Diversity & Equity Transformation, serving both SMPH and UW Health, has aimed to be (1) targeted with focusing on specific strategies that are integrated and aligned across the organization to allow intentional systemic change; (2) streamlined through breaking down siloed work and connecting across the system to develop strategic and transformative approaches; and (3) impactful with placing organizational attention in key areas including advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts that engage staff, and actions to advance DEI in the basic science departments, institutes, centers, and programs.