A major goal for our Center is to reduce disparities in surgical outcomes by providing high-quality and timely mental health care, regardless of patients’ backgrounds.
The Center’s leadership and members are working closely with diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership from the Department of Anesthesiology, the Department of Psychiatry, and the School of Medicine’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office to develop our center’s mission, values, and methods carefully and with equality for all and in alignment with the university’s initiatives.
In the coming weeks we will share our diversity and equity mission statement, ideals, and goals, based on the statements below.
The Center for Perioperative Mental Health is focused on vulnerable patients at the medical center: those who have mental health concerns while at the same time confronting the challenges of a major surgery. People who are from minority groups based on factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, diverse abilities, and sexual preference, are at higher risk for suffering from poor mental health. There are multiple contributing factors, including lack of access to mental health care services, stigma about mental health issues, and systemic discrimination. Mental health concerns are strongly associated with worse physical health, both of which worsen surgical outcomes. A major goal for our Center is to reduce disparities in surgical outcomes by providing high-quality and timely mental health care, regardless of patients’ backgrounds.
The Center seeks researchers with diverse backgrounds and life experiences to participate in perioperative mental health research that improves the outcomes of patients. We welcome researchers who are from minority groups based on factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, diverse abilities, and sexual preference. We invite you to work with our outstanding transdisciplinary team at Washington University and at Barnes Jewish Hospital. We are committed to providing mentorship, financial support, and research opportunities to researchers from diverse backgrounds and at different career stages, ranging from students to established faculty members.
It is well-known that people from minority groups (e.g., racial and ethnic minorities) with mental illness have especially poor health outcomes. We will promote research that explores the relationships between mental health and perioperative outcomes for those from minority groups. The way that we conduct ourselves within the Center and in our pursuit of science will be consistent with our values of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is reflected in the Center metrics and milestones.
Please find information about Washington University School of Medicine’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and framework for change here as well as initiatives from the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry.