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Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee

Mission

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Pediatrics (UTHSC DOP) is dedicated to recruiting, training and retaining a diverse body of leaders within pediatrics. To accomplish this goal, our department created the UTHSC DOP Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. Our mission is to promote a departmental culture of respect, equity and inclusion for all our trainees regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, culture, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy status, physical ability, justice system involved status, and covered veteran status. We believe maintaining a culture of inclusion is a necessary feature of a safe and nurturing learning environment that allows all trainees to thrive and become culturally sensitive physicians and community advocates. In addition, our committee fully supports UTHSC DOP’s commitment to solving children’s health issues and eliminating disparities in our community.

Aggression or Biases Reporting

The UTHSC Department of Pediatrics JEDI Committee created an anonymous way of reporting any aggression or biases encountered when on our medical campus or while attending a UTHSC or hospital sponsored event. Please use the link below to report any forms of discrimination that you experience or witness.

Vision

We will act as an advisory board to UTHSC DOP to achieve the following:

Develop initiatives and programs to recruit, educate, empower, and retain under-represented individuals in medicine.
Provide training opportunities and implement additional courses on cultural humility, cultural sensitivity, social advocacy and health equity for our faculty and trainees. 
Develop a confidential and anonymous system for faculty and trainees to report instances of bias, microaggressions, and any other racially or culturally insensitive issues.
Enhance mentorship and support resources for under-represented individuals in medicine.
Collaborate with other diversity and inclusion groups within the UTHSC system as well as our health partners at Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare System, Regional One Health Medical Center, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Create community outreach initiatives, including mentorships and other projects, to educate under-represented individuals about healthcare and opportunities in medicine.
Foster interest and support research in social and health inequity.

LaPrecious Harrold, MD (she/her)
Co-Chair
lharrol2@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergrad: Howard University (Go Bison!)
Medical School: University of Illinois COM
Residency: Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School
Clinical Interests: Hospital Medicine, Quality Improvement
Personal Interests: I’m a native Memphian who loves to travel, cook, cycle, and spend time with my loved ones.

Crystal Pourciau, MD (she/her)
Co-Chair
cpourcia@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Chattanooga, TN
Undergrad: Spelman College
Medical School: University of North Carolina, School of Medicine
Graduate: MPH, Health Care and Prevention, UNC, School of Public Health
Internship: Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Residency: Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI
Fellowship: Pediatric Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital
Clinical Interests: General pediatric dermatology, eczematous dermatitis, skin of color, health equity
Personal Interests: I enjoy sunshine and warm weather as well as spending time with my family and friends.

Raven Anderson, MD (she/her)
rander79@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: Loyola University New Orleans
Medical School: LSUHSC-Shreveport SOM
Residency: Pediatrics, UTHSC (PGY-1)
Clinical Interests: General Pediatrics (outpatient and inpatient)
Personal Interests/hobbies: Big foodie (and wino) and enjoy horseback riding!

Bindiya Bagga, MD (she/her)
bbagga@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Kolkata, India and now Memphis, TN
Medical School: KMC Mangalore, India
Residency: KMC Mangalore, India and LSU Shreveport, LA
Fellowship: Pediatric Infectious Diseases at St Jude- UTHSC combined fellowship, Memphis, TN
Interests: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Virology, Outcomes Based Research, Med Ed, Physician Wellness, Mentoring
Hobbies: Time with family, long walks, reading and unwinding on endless cups of homemade chai and trying out new recipes. I am also a Yogi and painter in the making. 😊

Brittany Brown, DO (she/her)
bbrow115@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Greenville, NC
Undergrad: Wake Forest University
Medical School: Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: UTHSC Medicine-Pediatrics
Clinical Interests: community health, chronic disease management, JEDI
Personal Interests/Hobbies: reading, photography

Cynthia Cross, MD (she/her)
ccross8@uthsc.edu

Medical School: UTHSC
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital; UTHSC/LeBonheur Children’s Hospital
Clinical Interests: After five years in private practice and eleven years in Emergency Medicine, she returned to LeBonheur in 2008 to start the Pediatric Hospitalist Program. She currently serves as the Division Chief. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UTHSC SOM. Dr. Cross serves on multiple committees including Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and Serious Safety Events, among others. She has an interest in children with special health care needs.
Personal Interests: Dr. Cross is the mother of one daughter, Camille, and enjoys hanging out with her. Dr. Cross is a HUGE fan of the Dallas Cowboys.  

Austin Dalgo, MD (he/him)
adalgo@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: University of Alabama
Medical School: University of Alabama Birmingham SOM
Residency: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, UTHSC
Fellowship: Hospice and Palliative Medicine, UTHSC
Clinical Interests: Ethics and Global Health
Personal Interests: Bird watching with my son and rock climbing with my daughter

Alicia Diaz-Thomas, MD, MPH (she/her)
adiaztho@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: Tulane University: BA in English and Latin American Literature, cum laude
Medical School: Tulane School of Medicine (MD)
Graduate: Tulane School of Public Health: MPH with concentration in Tropical Medicine
Residency: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, Tulane Health Science Center/ Charity Hospital of New Orleans/ VA NOLA (Chief Resident)
Fellowship: Pediatric Endocrinology, University of South Florida
Clinical Interests: JEDI in medicine (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion), pediatric endocrinology (differences in sex development, pediatric bone health, disorders of growth and development)
Personal Interests: Reading, learning new things, music and dance

Alexander Feliz, MD (he/him)
afeliz@uthsc.edu

Hometown: New York, NY

Undergrad: Wesleyan University
Medical School: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Residency: General Surgery, University of South Florida
Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Clinical Interests: Surgical Critical Care, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Health Disparities Research
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Foodie, Cycling, Soccer, Formula 1 racing, Reading

Aaron Garcia, MD (he/him)
agarci61@uthsc.edu

Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Undergrad: Southwestern University
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Med/Peds
Clinical Interests: Immigrant/refugee health, addiction medicine, gender-affirming care. All things primary care!
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Hanging out with my wife & our dog/cat, playing & listening to music, basketball (GO SPURS GO), & cooking (hit me up during tamale season!)

Amanda V. Hardy, MD (she/her)
ahardy17@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana!
Undergrad: Tulane University
Medical School: Louisiana State University Health Shreveport School of Medicine
Residency: UTHSC Internal Medicine & Pediatrics (Med-Peds)
Clinical Interests: Combined Hospital Medicine
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Sports- Geaux Tigers and WhoDat! I also have a love of all things soccer, especially the US Women’s National Team (4 World Cups? I mean, come on!). I also love trivia, the outdoors, cross logic puzzles, and music of all genres (I pride myself on having lots of random artist- or song-related fun facts).

Vinson James, MD (he/him)
jvinso13@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: Rosary Senior Secondary School, India
Medical School: St. John’s Medical College, India (2004-2010)
Post-graduate training: St. John’s Medical College, India (2014-2017)
Clinical Interests: Onco-nephrology
Personal Interests: Sports (Table tennis, Cricket, Soccer, Chess)

Trenton Judd, MD

Hometown: Syracuse, UT
Undergrad: Utah State University
Medical School: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Med/Peds
Fellowship: interested in Peds Heme/Onc and adult survivorship
Clinical Interests: Interested in the transition period out of pediatric medicine into adult medicine, especially children and young adults with a complex medical history including chemotherapy and cancer.
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Exploring with my family, running, lifting, cooking/eating, a multitude of sports, sometimes reading

Kevin Kuo, MD (he/him)
kkuo2@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Terre Haute, IN
Undergrad: Indiana University, Bloomington, 2016 (GO HOOSIERS!)
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine, 2020
Residency: University of Tennessee Health Science Center Med Peds
Clinical Interests: global health, LGBTQ+ care, addiction medicine
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Photography, distance running, rock climbing, cooking 

Katharine McNiel, MD (she/her)
kmcniel@uthsc.edu

Medical School: Dell Medical School, Austin, TX
Residency: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, UTHSC
Interests: I grew up in Austin, Texas. I am passionate about health equity and social justice in medicine, particularly pertaining to medical weight bias and anti-Black sentiments in medicine. I am excited to continue addressing health disparities in a new community!!

Arwa Nada, MD (she/her)
anada@uthsc.edu

Medical School: University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
Residency: Pediatrics, Alexandria University Children’s Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt
Residency: Pediatrics, Nassau University Medical Center (affiliated with Long Island Jewish Hospital), Long Island, NY
Fellowship: Pediatric Nephrology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
Clinical Interests: Pediatric Nephrology, neonatal nephrology, and onco-nephrology
Personal Interests: Meditation, cooking, gardening, writing poems and short stories
Self-Identification: Middle-Eastern, Muslim

Adebowale Odulana, MD (he/him)
aodulana@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: UNC- Chapel Hill
Medical School: UNC- Chapel Hill SOM
Residency: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Fellowship: NRSA Primary Care Research Fellowship, UNC Chapel Hill
Clinical Interests: Obesity Medicine
Personal Interests: I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my family and trying to perfect my oxtails recipe.

Yonique Petgrave, MBBS (she/her)
ypetgrav@uthsc.edu

Medical School: University of the West Indies Mona, Jamaica
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital
Fellowship: Pediatric Nephrology, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Childrens’ Hospital
Clinical Interests: Onco-nephrology, hypertension
Personal Interests: fitness, cooking

Cari Rayborn, MD (she/her)
champt14@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Magnolia, Mississippi
Undergrad: Tougaloo College
Medical School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Personal Interests: I enjoy outdoor activities and exploring new places with my husband and daughter.

Kamron Dalon Robinson, MD (he/him)
krobin78@uthsc.edu

Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Undergrad: THEE Jackson State University
Medical School: Morehouse School of Medicine
Residency: UTHSC Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
Clinical Interests: My clinical interest is centered around exploring and understanding how the social determinants of health impact my patients' lives. Through understanding and problem solving, positive health outcomes occur. I am also interested in transitional medicine. There are many illnesses or conditions that those are born with and are treated tremendously in pediatrics and taper off while they age. This is a unique population that has been underserved for decades. I am also passionate about establishing pipelines to science and giving back in urban and rural communities.
Personal Interests/Hobbies:  I am interested in music (Hip-hop, Blues, R&B, Pop, even some country too), anything with a referee, food, pop culture, useless trivia. I enjoy cooking and putting my spin on traditional recipes. 

Claudette Jones Shephard, MD (she/her)
cshephard@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: Loma Linda University College of Arts & Sciences (now La Sierra University) (Riverside, CA)
Medical School: Loma Linda University (Loma Linda, CA)
Residency: Obstetrics & Gynecology, State University of New York – Brooklyn
Fellowship: Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology, UTHSC
Clinical Interests: Adolescent Gynecology, Pediatric Gynecology, Child Sexual Abuse, Health disparities
Personal Interests: Photography, reading, community service

Nithya Swaminathan, MD (she/her)
nswamina@uthsc.edu

Person Interests: : Chennai, India
Person Interests: : Grant Medical College, Mumbai
Person Interests: : Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
Person Interests: : Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian, NY
Person Interests: : Congenital heart disease, transthoracic and fetal echocardiograms and enjoy being the Assistant Program Director for cardiology fellowship program
Person Interests: : Singing, dancing, cooking, traveling, social networking, organizing and planning events etc.

Kim Uchida, MD (she/her)
kuchida@uthsc.edu

Undergrad: University of Utah
Medical School: University of Utah
Residency: University of Colorado
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care
Clinical Interests: I am a first-year pediatric critical care fellow, interested in oncology-critical care as well as health equity in the ICU.
Person Interests: Skiing, biking, hiking, and playing with my corgi puppy, Miso.

Dan Wells, MD (he/him)
dwells2@uthsc.edu

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergrad: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Medical School: University of Tennessee, Memphis
Residency: Med/Peds @ University of Tennessee in Memphis
Clinical Interests: Med/Peds Hospitalist with particular interest in resident education
Personal Interests/Hobbies: Husband and father of 3 with a love of musical theater, Tennessee Volunteers, and of course the Memphis Grizzlies

Keadrea Wilson, MD (she/her)

Hometown: Memphis, TN
Undergrad: Vanderbilt University
Medical School: UTHSC COM
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern-Pediatrics
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Clinical Interests: health equity, breastfeeding and nutrition 
Personal Interests/Hobbies: cooking, traveling, playing tennis and enjoying live music and sporting events

Oct 21, 2024