Seed Grant Award: Anti-Racism in the Intensive Care Unit at Columbia University Medical Center: Evaluation of our Current State and a Journey to Make the Uncomfortable Comfortable

We propose an observational ethnographic and sociological study of critical care caregivers.  Researchers will interview providers and make observations of their practice in the ICU.  There will be not be any interventions.  We aim to qualitatively assess how ICU culture, relationships, and models of leadership influence, impact, and change perceptions of racism. Furthermore, we will investigate how the tension between maintaining the status quo and our comfort zones impacts wellness and physician burnout.

Data from these interviews will inform the format and creation of an anthology of physician experiences on racism in the ICU from the Departments of Medicine, Neurology, Anesthesiology, and Surgery.  These experiences will be recorded by video and archived.  This archive will be used to share and learn in forums such as Grand Rounds and for elective experiences in Anti-racism for medical students at the College of Physicians and Surgeons.  

This project was funded through the Addressing Racism: A Call to Action for Higher Education initiative of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.