Vice Chancellor Mill Etienne, M.D. ’02, M.P.H., Honored as Champion of Change in Crain’s NY Inaugural Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards
The inaugural Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards celebrated individuals and businesses for leading by example and holding themselves and others accountable for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Mill Etienne, M.D. '02, M.P.H., FAAN, FAES, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, associate dean of student affairs and associate professor of neurology and of medicine, at New York Medical College (NYMC), was honored as a Champion of Change by Crain’s New York during their inaugural Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards on July 15. The virtual awards ceremony recognized those who are making great strides in creating a more equitable workplace. Dr. Etienne was honored in the emerging leaders category for promoting programs or initiatives advancing diversity and inclusion.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Etienne thanked the students, faculty and staff, of NYMC for their dedication to enhancing diversity and inclusion at the College and its affiliates and continuing to be a bastion against bigotry. “It is an honor to receive this Champion of Change Award for diversity and inclusion from Crain’s. I am grateful to all the people at NYMC and the WMC Health Network for their unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. There is much more work to be done. It takes a village,” said Dr. Etienne.
“Congratulations to Dr. Etienne on this well-deserved honor,” said Jerry L. Nadler, M.D., MACP, FAHA, FACE, dean of the NYMC School of Medicine (SOM). “Dr. Etienne is an advocate to help understand the reasons for and to address health care disparities in the U.S. Throughout his career he has espoused the tenets of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Particularly with the resurgence of the racial and social justice movements in 2020, Dr. Etienne has emerged as a true leader both at NYMC and in the greater community.”
Promoted to the newly established position of vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at NYMC in 2020, Dr. Etienne oversees college-wide initiatives to enhance diversity and promote equity and inclusion in all aspects of teaching, student life, faculty recruitment, clinical practice and research in the NYMC SOM, School of Health Sciences and Practice and Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences as well as the Touro College of Dental Medicine at NYMC and the Touro Nursing Program at NYMC.
A strong advocate for humanism in medicine, Dr. Etienne has been an instrumental part of NYMC’s SOM task force on anti-racism and anti-bias in medicine, which has closely examined the SOM’s four-year curriculum to remove any implicit racial bias or discrimination. He has worked to establish associate/vice chair positions for diversity and inclusion in academic departments and closely mentors students to help them recognize any implicit biases and teaches them how to prevent these biases from interfering with patient care.
In April, Dr. Etienne was awarded the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, given to students and physicians who show outstanding compassion in the delivery of care and who show respect for patients, their families and health care colleagues.
Dr. Etienne currently serves as president of the New York State Neurological Society (NYSNS), where he is known for promoting diversity and inclusion. Though there was no other minority or women members when he joined NYSNS, today, under his leadership, the majority of members belong to racial or ethnic minority groups or are women.