Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) is growing leaps and bounds – right along with the 19 counties we serve. With six accredited ACGME residency programs and two accredited fellowship programs, we are positioned to be one of the largest GME programs in the state of Georgia. Along with our growth, comes a strong commitment and responsibility to provide diverse and inclusive medical education that is representative of our growing patient population. Doing so will help address health disparities, medical bias and support of our organizational mission.

GME DE&I Mission

Our mission is to acknowledge institutional and systematic biases with the goal of supporting resident physicians and fellows on socioeconomic, gender and ethnicity-related healthcare disparities so we can educate within the Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and the community we serve to promote healthcare equity.

NGMC GME offers employee support for all groups, and we also provide an atmosphere of inclusivity and acknowledgment, but how do we accomplish this?

Medical Staff Diversity & Healthcare Disparity Taskforce

Led by our Director of Diversity and Inclusion for GME, Dr. Erine Raybon-Rojas, this physician-led group focuses on identifying and addressing issues surrounding diversity within the Medical Staff and addressing community healthcare disparities.

Our resident physicians are an important part of this work:

Continuing Medical Education

NGMC GME and the Continuing Medical Education (CME) department have worked in collaboration to have these conversations in the form of hosting virtual medical lectures. Since December of 2020, the Jennings Lectureship kicked off the Diversity in Medicine lecture series with Dr. Andre Churchwell of Vanderbilt University who spoke about Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine.

Whether our local experts start the conversation or nationally renowned experts, NGMC GME is committed to keeping the discussion going. Check out our most recent conversations.

Our Health System Culture

As a new GME program attracting residents and fellows from all over the world, we are excited to spearhead the effort to have conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. At times, these conversations can be difficult, but they are necessary so we as a medical community can come together to learn and listen to one another.”

John E. Delzell, Jr, MD – DIO and VP of Medical Education

NGMC GME has an engaged CEO and DIO who view diversity and inclusion as a journey.

DE&I Leadership

Meet the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for GME, Erine Raybon-Rojas, MD

“I’m committed to changing the way medical education operates in regard to purposefully incorporating Diversity Equity & Inclusion strategies. My goals are to help create and foster an inclusive environment that allows our resident physicians, fellows and faculty to be fully supported.”

Erine Raybon-Rojas, MD, Director of Diversity & Inclusion for GME

Frequently Asked Questions

As graduate medical education at NGMC continues to be as diverse as the population we serve, the resolve of our DEI initiatives will continue to strengthen the foundation of our system’s core values and the excellent care we provide patients. Our health system leadership is committed to this journey and we continue to encourage new perspectives as we expand our reach and have more residents train with us. The future is what we make it!

You can reach out to any of our leaders on the Task Force, Dr. Rojas or Dr. Delzell to become more involved and attend meetings, spearhead initiatives and support the work of diversity and inclusion.

Yes! We have a robust wellness department within GME with one focus – your success! Learn about all our support programs!

You can contact Dr. Rojas or Dr. Delzell with any concerns. There are confidential resources available via our intranet site, Connect. NGHS also has a no retaliation policy in place.

Additionally, as a resident/fellow with NGMC, you are automatically enrolled in the Resident Assistance Program (RAP). Participation in RAP consists of a minimum of two well-being check-in visits each year with our in-house licensed psychologist. This resource is available without limit. Residents may opt out of the program at any time, and their performance evaluations are not affected by participation in the RAP.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center serves a population of over one-million people, in 19 counties. The hospital system includes campuses in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest and serves as a regional safety net hospital and provides care to low-income, uninsured and other vulnerable populations. Northeast Georgia is the fastest growing region of Georgia and one of the fastest growing regions in the nation.

  • More than 180,000 patients trust their emergency care to NGMC each year.
  • NGMC Gainesville serves as a Level 1 Trauma Center with more than 2,400 trauma admissions annually.
  • We also provide regional life-flight coverage to much of northern Georgia and serve as the trauma referral center for the US Army Ranger school at Camp Frank Merrill in Dahlonega, Ga.

In Hall County, 31 percent of the population is Hispanic and the surrounding rural counties are primarily Caucasian.  The median household income ranges from $32,000 in rural areas to over $75,000 in more suburban areas.

The most common cardiovascular diagnosis is hypertension, and the most common new cancer diagnoses are lung and breast cancer.