Portland, Ore.

Stephanie S. Anderson, M.D., has been named assistant dean of minority affairs in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine. Anderson, who is also assistant professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics), has a threefold charge in her new role: to help the school recruit minority faculty, residents and students; to retain them by improving cross-cultural communication and networks on campus and with the Portland community; and to make OHSU nationally known for its recruitment and retention of minorities at all levels.

The appointment was announced by Christine Cassel, M.D., M.A.C.P., dean of the School of Medicine. "One of my missions is to enhance opportunities for our minority faculty and students," Cassel said. "This will strengthen both the school and the entire OHSU medical community. Stephanie has the skill and training to lead this effort, and we are delighted that she is willing to join the dean's office staff."

Anderson proposed the position partly because of her own experience as an ethnic minority physician. "I realized if I were feeling isolated, how must a busy resident or medical student feel?" Anderson said. "Our goals are to improve the sense of community on OHSU's campus as well as promote the visibility of OHSU and its support of minorities."

OHSU's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs recruits and supports minority students for all four of OHSU's schools. The School of Medicine is the first OHSU school to create its own administrative position for minorities to complement the work of the university-wide office.

Anderson is excited about the long-term potential. "The minority physicians we're training today are those who will go on to promote diversity training and take care of the minority communities that so much need physicians," she said.

Anderson received her M.D. from the University of California at San Francisco and completed her internal medicine residency training at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in California. Her professional interests include women's health as well as medical student and resident education.

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