Mount Sinai Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) created the Committee to Address Anti-Asian Bias and Racism to address the growing concerns and fears about the racism experienced by our Asian and Asian American colleagues at the Mount Sinai Health System. The work of this group is now formalized into the Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development (CAEPD) and includes education, events, and strategies to address and combat anti-Asian bias and racism.
Our mission is to understand bias and racism, and address the equity and professional development challenges faced by Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in collaboration with organizations working to address discrimination against anyone based upon their identity.
CAEPD is creating positive change in the advancement of professional development and equity through promoting education, enabling candid conversations, and taking tangible action.
We focus on the Asian and Asian American community and collaborate with the system-wide effort to address bias and racism led by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. We have a responsibility to address bias, racism, and general discrimination for all our colleagues and patients
CAEPD's Vision Statement: "Unite and elevate Asian identities and our communities."
Who We Are
CAEPD Executive Board
Dennis Charney, MD
Dean of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Amanda Rhee, MD, MS
Inaugural Center Director
James Tsai, MD, MBA
Executive Advisor
Michael DeGuzman, MPH, FACHE
Executive Secretary / Administrative Director
Astrid Pineda, MPA
Operations Manager
As the Core Leadership Team, the following committee chairs will lead the arms of CAEPD.
- Professional Development—led by Anthoney Lim, MD, Hamel Vyas, Esquire, Wayland Chiu, MD Candidate Class of 2026, and Sushma Krishna, MD
- Education and Research—led by Alison Lee, MD MS, Christina Wang, MD, and Diana Yan, MD.
- Safety—led by Richard Tea, PA-C, MBA and Nolan Kagetsu, MD, FACR.
- Communications: —led by Daniel Leinweber, Wenqi Yue, MBA, MEng, and Timothy Hoang, MD Candidate Class of 2026.
CAEPD Subcommittees
Professional Development
This committee aims to address anti-Asian bias and racism in recruitment and career development, establish a mentorship program, increase Asian American leadership representation, and ensure diversity and inclusion in all campaigns.
- Active Projects
- Mentorship Program
- Personal Stories
Education and Research
This committee aims to educate the Mount Sinai community on AAPI history and anti-Asian racism, while promoting the need for more research on AAPI populations.
- Active Projects
- Data Disaggregation
- Data Dashboard
- Incorporation AAPI patient perspectives into the medical school curriculum
- Translation Services/Asian Services for patients
Safety
This committee aims to educate the Mount Sinai community on personal safety and ways to protect oneself from verbal and physical threats.
- Active Projects
- Safety pamphlet with safety devices
Communications
This committee aims to support communicating the work happening in CAEPD, starting with an internal first approach that will then create external understanding.
Partners and Collaborators
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The Asian Pacific Medical Students Association (APAMSA) is a national organization of medical and pre-medical students committed to addressing the unique health challenges of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Please email apamsa.mssm@gmail.com if you would like more information.
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The Asian Resource Network (ARN) is an employee resource group that seeks to enhance awareness of the Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander cultures and traditions through educational activities and events during the year. In addition, the group seeks to establish personal and professional development and networking forums for MSHS employees to address areas that relate to or affect Asian Americans within the organization. To join, fill out this form.
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The Korean-American Medical Students Association (KAMSA) is a national student run organization dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of Korean-American medical students. It is committed to serving the broader Korean-American and AAPI community through a range of service-oriented educational, advocacy, and diversity initiatives. If interested in joining our membership, fill out our membership form and/or email us at kamsa.usa@gmail.com.
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The South Asian Medical Students’ Association (SAMSA) is committed to supporting its students, promoting research initiatives and advocacy efforts, and addressing the needs of the South Asian American community. We invite you to join SAMSA in our mission to improve cultural competency in the next generation of leaders. Email sinai.samsa@gmail.com for more information.