José E. Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP, has been appointed Associate Vice President (AVP) for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) at 㽶Ƶ of Utah Health. He has served as Interim Associate Vice President since August 2018. Rodríguez is a professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and has extensive background in diversity work in the health care arena. In addition to his HEDI position, he is a Family Physician and Associate Medical Director at U of U Health’s Redwood Health Center.
The appointment, effective March 1, 2020, was announced by Michael L. Good, MD, CEO, U of U Health; Senior Vice President for Health Sciences; and Dean of the School of Medicine. “I am pleased Dr. Rodríguez will continue his leadership of the office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” Good said. “As interim director, José proved his deep commitment to enhancing the success of diverse faculty, students, and staff, as part of our broader goal to enrich the educational experiences and success of all members of 㽶Ƶ of Utah Health.”
“I’m delighted to work with such a talented team of committed professionals. It’s clear to me that 㽶Ƶ of Utah Health cares deeply about health equity, diversity, and inclusion,” Rodríguez stated. “Our office will be working with all of our schools and colleges, the library, and our hospitals and clinics to formulate and implement plans to meet each unit’s HEDI goals.”
Rodríguez recognizes that U of U Health has an opportunity to create a workforce prepared to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse patient population, providing health care that is equitable and reduces health disparities. His intent is to harness the talents of the U of U Health community to become a nationwide leader in health equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Prior to joining the faculty at the U, Rodríguez co-chaired the Council on Diversity and Inclusion and co-directed the Center for Underrepresented Minorities (URM) in Academic Medicine at Florida State 㽶Ƶ College of Medicine. He is an accomplished academic, publishing numerous articles on the importance of underrepresented minorities in academic medicine. Rodríguez received his MD degree at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and his BA at Brigham Young 㽶Ƶ.