In 2021, the Macy Foundation convened more than 50 faculty members, learners, leaders, and other experts in health professions education to share their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and what changes to the clinical learning environment should remain. The conferees produced a set of recommendations that were published in Academic Medicine in March 2022. Throughout this past year, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey invited educators, learners, and thought leaders to share their insights and opinions related to specific recommendations. Two primary themes emerged from these discussions that remain essential to and inherent in the recommendations from the conference: 1) learners should be co-creators in the design and improvement of their education and training, and 2) an anti-racism lens is necessary in achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in health professions learning environments.

As the only national foundation dedicated solely to improving the education of health professionals, the Macy Foundation continued its commitment to supporting innovation across health professions education. In 2021, the Macy Foundation announced the next generation of the Macy Faculty Scholars Program. In 2022, we received applications for the new class of Scholars to be announced in 2023. During the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Annual Educational Conference, the Macy Foundation also announced a special initiative to fund projects in graduate medical education that support civility, psychological safety, and thriving in the clinical learning environment for residents and fellows. The Catalyst Awards for Transformation in Graduate Medical Education were announced and will commence in 2023.

The Macy Foundation continued to facilitate discussions about making health professions education more equitable and inclusive for all. In particular, the Macy Foundation discussed an area of bias and discrimination within the health care system that often goes overlooked—ableism and the health care disparities experienced by people with disabilities, a group that includes more than 61 million Americans. In addition to discussing topics related to ableism in health care and creating inclusive learning environments on the Vital Voices podcast, the Macy Foundation hosted a series of webinars that explored the barriers to inclusion for medical trainees and physicians with disabilities. In 2023, the Macy Foundation will host a discussion on ableism within nursing. The Macy Foundation also awarded a grant to the Hastings Center to support work on overcoming ableism in medical and nursing education.

The Macy Foundation continued to amplify voices and support projects promoting diversity, equity, and belonging in health professions education. In her blog series, Macy Notes, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey spoke with Drs. Dowin Boatright and Nientara Anderson about their roadmap for diversity in medicine. In recognition of Black History Month and its 2022 theme of Black Health and Wellness, Dr. Humphrey interviewed New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michelle Morse about advancing racial equity in medicine. Dr. Humphrey also spoke with Dr. Mary Owen from the Center of American Indian and Minority Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth about her Macy Foundation-supported project to increase the number of learners who gain skills in caring for American Indian and Alaska Native patients.

The Macy Foundation continued our commitment to increasing collaboration among future health professionals. In October, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey gave one of the plenary addresses at the American Heart Association’s Research Leaders Academy which brings together scientists and physicians to explore and debate research issues in cardiovascular health and build mentoring and collaboration networks for senior and future leaders. Dr. Humphrey also spoke about the importance of interprofessional collaboration and education at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and at the annual meeting of the Physical Therapy Learning Institute.

The Macy Foundation continued our commitment to support projects focused on preparing future health professionals to navigate ethical dilemmas. As a part of her Macy Notes blog series, Macy Foundation President Holly J. Humphrey featured the work of two medical students at University of California, San Francisco and Indiana University who are helping to address the role of medical education in the climate crisis with their Planetary Health Report Card. The Macy Foundation also featured a three-part webinar series exploring the barriers to inclusion for learners and physicians with disabilities. In particular, part two of the series addressed strategies and procedures for evaluating and supporting underperforming learners with disabilities while part three provided an overview of creating training and practice environments that are inclusive of physicians with disabilities. The Macy Foundation also provided support for a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to prepare medical students and their teachers to adopt open and transparent communication with patients and their families.