Championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hematology  

Building and nurturing a more equitable and diverse workforce has always been a priority for ASH. The hematology community is global, and ASH understands the importance of having individuals with diverse perspectives and experiences in all areas of the field.

 

The Minority Recruitment Initiative (MRI) celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. In those 20 years, the initiative supported the education and careers of hundreds of people, with more than 500 awards distributed since 2003, enriching the field at large.

$15M

Committed to MRI from 2003 – 2023

500+

awards distributed between 2003 – 2023

“The ASH Minority Resident Hematology Award Program (MRHAP) award provided me with the opportunity to connect with life-long mentors and be able to share our work with other hematologists through an oral presentation on a national stage at the ASH conference."

Miriam Osei, MD

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MRHAP Recipient, 2022, 2020

The Doris Duke Foundation awarded ASH a grant to address a critical health equity concern: Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) reference ranges based on Duffy status. Individuals with Duffy-null have naturally occurring lower ANC, which is not accounted for in current reference ranges. This leads to a number of consequences including unnecessary bone marrow biopsies, early termination of life-saving chemotherapy, and exclusion from clinical trials. The new project will attempt to establish new Duffy-null–specific reference ranges for adults and children to improve collective understanding and care for these individuals.

Changing Conversations

Conversations for Change is a tool launched at the 2023 ASH Annual Meeting to help clinicians discuss, understand, and address aspects of health equity, including social determinants of health, disparities in diagnosis and treatment, and more. 
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DEI at ASH 2023

The 2023 ASH Annual Meeting hosted 194 sessions and posters focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The ASH Health Equity Studio facilitated conversations on community partnerships, supporting LGBTQIA+ patients and colleagues, and more. Select sessions are available at no cost.
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DEI in Clinical Trials

Designed to help trial sponsors incorporate DEI principles throughout the clinical trial life cycle, the DEI Toolkit for Clinical Trial Sponsors provides actionable recommendations, reference articles, and additional resources.
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Ongoing Education

ASH hosted webinars to facilitate discussion of workforce diversity and inclusion for LGBTQIA+ hematologists and advance research for LGBTQIA+ patients in hematology. Women’s history month webinars discussed the importance of mentorship and how to create strong mentor/mentee relationships.

Explore the 2023 Annual Report