Dr. Caldwell named HFMG Medical Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Department of Emergency Medicine Senior Staff, Martina Caldwell, M.D., MS, FACEP, has accepted the inaugural Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG) Medical Director of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) position, effective March 8. In this role she will report directly to Steven Kalkanis, M.D., CEO of the HFMG and chief academic officer for Henry Ford Health.

This is a vital role within the HFMG, with Dr. Caldwell serving as a strategic partner with HFMG clinical departments to promote and advance diversity and inclusion in the recruitment, hiring, retention and career advancement of senior staff and trainees. Additionally, she will work with internal groups to create and maintain departmental cultural transformation around D&I through a high-quality, culturally responsive and inclusive strategic vision and plan.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to partner with Dr. Kalkanis and the other leaders to mobilize the palpable energy already present in our medical group toward D&I progress," says Dr. Caldwell. “This shared mission is critical for the wellbeing of our diverse physicians and the communities we serve, and I am confident that our organization will be enriched by enhancing the pipeline of talented, underrepresented in medicine candidates who join the physician workforce and leadership."

Dr. Caldwell will support the development, implementation and sustainment of initiatives that foster an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion consistent with Henry Ford Health guiding principles and consistent with the academic mission of the HFMG.

“In this role, Dr. Caldwell will also be an integral part of the Henry Ford Health-MSU Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee," says Dr. Kalkanis. “Her position will align with the Office of System Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Henry Ford Health Department of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion. As you can see, the breadth of Dr. Caldwell's role and potential impact is wide-ranging and, of course, inclusive."

Dr. Caldwell has been a senior staff physician in the DEM since 2014 and actively engaged in D&I activity for many years. She is the founding co-chair of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee and inaugural director of DEI in the Department of Emergency Medicine. In these roles, she has collaborated widely with diverse peers to implement many DEI initiatives in the emergency department, including a health educator program, Underrepresented in Medicine Scholarship, DEI climate assessment and anti-racism discussions, workshops and book club.

She is also a researcher with expertise in community-based participatory research, mixed methods and implementation science. She leads a robust community partnership that developed and is currently piloting the Women & Person-Empowered Community Access for Reproductive Equity (WE CARE) intervention. Dr. Caldwell has been awarded with numerous awards and grants, including:

• Health Disparities Research Collaborative Scholar
• Physician-Scientist Track Award
• Health Equity Scholar
• Diversity Hero Award
• 2nd Place in the American Hospital Association's Innovation Challenge for the WE CARE intervention.

She also serves on several national committees and actively participates in networks related to DEI, including the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, Society for Family Planning, American College of Graduate Medical Education, and Association of American Medical Colleges.