COM Outlook Winter 2021

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 7 need for more love, appreciation, and respect for each other.” Whether it’s racial, cultural, religious, gender, or sexual orientation bias, most people have been impacted by some form of discrimination in their lifetimes, which is why the new program aims to tackle these important topics through Zoom meetings that include various breakout discus- sion groups. “In the program’s structure, it was important to address what has brought us to this point as a nation, and then progress to programing that advocates for justice for all,” Anderson-Worts explained. “The first six sessions were created to stimulate discussion and prompt ideas for our journey,” she added. “The long-term goal is to create sustainable programs that meet the needs of all KPCOM faculty and staff members, as well as students. To achieve this, I sent emails and surveys to obtain ideas from the KPCOM family. I also solicited volunteers to help with the KUP strategic plan. Currently, there are more than 60 faculty, staff, and student volunteers, including 10 who are part of the KUP Planning Team. “The establishment of the NSU-KPCOM Unity Program for Change will provide a space to allow distinct and diverse voices to enrich our understandings of personal experiences about shared social issues,” said Arlene Brett Gordon, Ph.D., LMFT, associate professor and director of the KPCOM’s Brief Therapy Institute and Medical Family Therapy “In almost every environment we find ourselves in, there is something that can be learned. At NSU-KPCOM, we are grooming future health care professionals, and it is imperative that we invest in the skills, compassion, and empathy that are going to set them apart from others in the field. This program is an amazing opportunity to hear and be heard, to challenge howwe live and think, and to invest in ourselves and others to create a greater tomorrow.” —Sherrica Taylor, Ph.D., assistant professor of medical education and director of faculty development