What is social mission?
The social mission of a health professions school is the contribution of the school in its mission, programs, and the performance of its graduates, faculty and leadership in advancing health equity and addressing the health disparities of the society in which it exists.
Who we are
Beyond Flexner Alliance (BFA) is a national movement, focused on health equity and training health professionals as agents of more equitable health care. This movement takes us beyond centuries-old conventions in health professions education to train providers prepared to build a system that is not only better, but fairer.
The Beyond Flexner Alliance movement started with a 2012 conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that brought national attention to medical schools with strong social mission commitment, created a forum for collaboration and shared innovations, and legitimized the important role of medical education in addressing social inequities. We are now the Beyond Flexner Alliance.
Vision
Health professions education in which social mission is present, prominent, and valued to drive health equity and improved health for individuals, communities, and nations.
Mission
The Beyond Flexner Alliance aims to promote social mission in health professions education by networking learners, teachers, community leaders, health policy makers and their organizations to advance equity in education, research, service, policy, and practice.
Core Concepts and Principles
Ways in which we will pursue our vision and achieve our mission are:
- Promote a culture of accountability in health professions education that values health equity
- Raise public consciousness about social mission
- Impact future leaders’ understanding and commitment to social mission
- Create social mission standards and metrics to augment mission awareness atmultiple levels
- Serve as repository for strategies that advance social mission
- Support pathways to assure a diverse workforce including leadership
- Engage similar and diverse perspectives
- Be regionally relevant
- Advocate, Question, Disrupt
The inspirational Dr David Satcher, recent #BeyondFlexner keynote speaker, make opening remarks at #APHA2018 @APHA
Dr. David Satcher delivering the opening remarks yesterday for an engaging session on critical topics for the 2019 legislative agenda #Apha2018 @SHLIatMSM
“Racism is a system of structural oppression that assigns value based on the social interpretation of someone’s looks, it unfairly disadvantages individuals and communities” – Dr. Camara Jones #apha2018 @SHLIatMSM
@endpolviolence #EndPoliceViolence supporters of policy making police violence a @PublicHealth health issue cheer in response to #APHA2018 governing council vote 87% for 13% against #SanDiego
I don’t use the term “disadvantaged” anymore. We are talking about people who are structurally disempowered. The term “disadvantaged” doesn’t get at where the advantage comes from and how the disempowerment is baked into the system. – Manuel Pastor #APHA2018
Just now, the American Public Health Association passed a statement naming police violence as a public health issue & recommending divestment from police and investment in community-based & -led solutions. This is huge. Read the statement here:
https://t.co/hEVBGAoB28
