AAES Statement on Rise of Racism against Asian-AmericansThe recent shooting of eight people, including six women of Asian descent is a stark reminder of the need for ongoing conversations around race and ethnicity in the US. The growing wave of anti-Asian sentiment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of our words. The AAES will not stand in silence while our colleagues, patients, and neighbors of Asian descent fear for their lives. The AAES condemns xenophobia, racism, and discrimination in all its forms. We extend our condolences to the families of those affected. We ask that everyone take a moment to reflect on recent events:
Fueled by the myriad of disparities magnified last year, our organization made a commitment to forge a more equitable and compassionate healthcare system for all. We created a Committee on DEI to help drive the AAES towards these goals. We will continue to work with our DEI Committee to create a more representative endocrine surgery workforce by cultivating an environment where diversity, inclusiveness, anti-bias and anti-racism are embraced, practiced and integrated into our discipline. By stimulating diversity and innovation in thinking, we will create a better culture and deliver better healthcare to our patients. There is much more work to be done and we will only accomplish it if we work together. Respectfully yours, To report a hate crime against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders you can do so at http://www.StopAAPIHate.org. Additional Resources:
The 2021 Annual Meeting will be held virtually
Throughout the summer and fall, the AAES Officers and Meeting leadership have been assessing the risks and feasibility of getting together in person in Birmingham in the spring. With the uncertainty around the timing of vaccine rollouts, institutional travel bans, and with the safety of our members in mind, we feel it is most prudent for AAES to host the Annual Meeting virtually in April 2021. We understand this may be disappointing to some who were looking forward to gathering in Birmingham. The Meeting leadership and staff are working to design a virtual Meeting that will deliver the same caliber of excellent programming, networking opportunities, and social interactions that you’ve come to expect from the AAES Annual Meeting. We are looking at new ways to deliver content, stay connected, and engage with each other in meaningful ways. We hope you’ll plan to join us online, April 25-27, 2021, to experience all that the AAES Virtual Annual Meeting has to offer. Carrie Lubitz, MD, MPH Peter Mazzaglia, MD John Porterfield, MD and Brenessa Lindeman, MD |
