Our Commitment to you
Official DEI Statement
ACOFP recognizes the fundamental and crucial role family physicians play in the health of their patients and their communities. We affirm our commitment to the osteopathic philosophy of whole-person, patient-centered care. To honor this commitment, we must make an intentional, concerted effort to understand and respect all patients across the full spectrum of their identities and convictions.
ACOFP further recognizes that to provide the respectful and compassionate care that our patients deserve, we must make a conscientious effort to recognize and foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within our organization and our profession. We must be cognizant of and empathetic to the individual challenges that our patients face. Focusing solely on the biophysical aspect of medicine does not achieve this goal. We must face the reality that although all are created equal; there are systems greater than ourselves that are not creating equal treatment for all. We recognize that some of our patients suffer not only because of race but also because of racism; not from disability but from ableism; and not from low income but the social economic system that binds them to poverty. We cannot ignore the science and the reality of our patients and those who serve them best.
We wholeheartedly undertake the work that is required to reach these aims as it will only add value to our organization. We endeavor to support our members by providing resources to serve as a stepping stone to reducing health disparities, chronic disease, and preventable disease for all patients. Osteopathic physicians have a long heritage of seeing beyond disease and disorder to see the human condition and the inherent opportunity of wellness. Our hope is that osteopathic physicians will lead all physicians into seeing our patients as a unique unit and not simply parts of an equation. These efforts do not intend to alienate one group over another, but rather to unite us through caring for the whole patient and all communities. We continue the efforts of A.T. Still in being leaders and pioneers in this capacity.
Our duty to our patients, our communities, and ourselves requires no less than our full attention to these vital issues. We humbly ask members of the ACOFP community to support us in carrying out this mission.