Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) recently selected Dr. Mirna I. Ramos-Diaz to serve as the university’s first Chief Diversity Officer. As Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Ramos-Diaz will work with her PNWU colleagues to educate, engage, empower, and advocate for the PNWU community and our partners by cultivating resources to create and affirm an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and diverse. Through those efforts, PNWU aims to become a model for diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence.
“Dr. Ramos-Diaz is a local and national leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion for health care, and we are privileged to work with her,” said Dr. Michael Lawler, president of PNWU. “With her expertise and leadership, PNWU will advance its capacity to equally serve all members of the community.”
As an immigrant, second-language learner, minority, bridge builder, pediatrician, and teacher, Dr. Ramos-Diaz brings to the table an intersection of applicable experiences and identities.
“I am honored to accept the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at PNWU,” Dr. Ramos-Diaz said. “This step is a clear and unequivocal statement by PNWU’s leadership towards inclusion excellence. I am committed to collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in fostering an environment of inclusion for all through authentic and respectful dialogue. It is through listening with compassion that we will come closer to achieving equity and revolutionize health care.”
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been part of the DNA of PNWU’s mission from the beginning,” added Dr. Robert Sorrells, PNWU’s Associate Dean of Preclinical Education. “Dr. Ramos-Diaz, a physician in the lower valley for years, and a respected member of the faculty at PNWU, is the exact person to lead this historic effort. Her passion, training, and commitment will lead PNWU on its mission to revolutionize health care for the underserved.”