Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award

2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award

 The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award recognizes an ACG Member whose work in the areas of clinical practice, research, teaching and/or leadership has demonstrated an emerging or sustained commitment to the values of diversity, health equity, and inclusion . These efforts are demonstrated by the awardee’s significant contributions to promote diversity, inclusion, and/or cultural competency including, but not limited to, the development of educational programs or curricula, community engagement initiatives, research, or promotion of pathways or programs to support individuals from racial, ethnic, and/ or gender groups that are under-represented in medicine . Such endeavors may be through mentorship, sponsorship or cultivation of partnerships that advance the diversity, equity, or inclusion within medicine .

Darrell M. Gray, II, MD, MPH, FACG

Darrell M . Gray, II, MD, MPH, FACG, is the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer for Anthem, Inc ., a role he assumed in August 20201 . In this role, he is an architect of strategy to advance health equity across all Anthem lines of business with the aim of improving the delivery of equitable wholeperson care to its more than 45 million members and cultivating healthier communities in which they reside . Prior to joining Anthem, Inc ., Dr . Gray was an Associate Professor of Medicine at The Ohio State University where he served in multiple roles including Director of Community Engagement and Equity in Digestive Health within the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; Medical Director of Healthy Communities for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; and Deputy Director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center . His work leveraged meaningful partnerships across public and private sectors in Ohio and nationally to reduce health disparities and the drivers of health among diverse populations . This was exemplified, in part, in his founding of the Provider and Community Engagement Program for Health Equity in Colorectal Cancer Prevention, co-leading Ohio State’s health equity response to COVID-19 and co-designing the health enterprise’s anti-racism action plan . As an advocate for vulnerable and underserved populations, Dr . Gray serves in multiple national and local organizations aiming to reduce disparities in health and health care through innovation in community engagement, care delivery, research, and patient and provider education . Within the ACG, Dr . Gray is Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee . He also serves on the medical advisory board for FightCRC, the board of directors for the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists, and board of directors for Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services, a non-profit organization that helps immigrants and refugees become self-sufficient in Central Ohio . Additionally, Dr . Gray utilizes scholarly and multimedia platforms to disseminate best practices in advancing health equity . He’s published in high-impact journals including Nature Reviews, The Lancet, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology, to name of few, on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion . His work has also been highlighted in The New York Times and Forbes . Dr . Gray is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and graduate of Morehouse College and Howard University College of Medicine . He completed his residency at Duke University Medical Center and gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University . He subsequently earned a Master’s in Public Health at the Harvard T .H . Chan School of Public Health as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow .

Dr . Gray has received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions to team-based science, community engagement, clinical care, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, yet he considers his roles as husband to wife Brittney and father to children Harper, Ella, and Noah as his crowning achievements .