Founded in 2019 by pediatric surgeons Dr. Erika Newman and Dr. Erin Perrone, the Impacting HOPE Collaborative analyzes and enhances systems to increase health equity, opportunity, pathways, and education for children and families in Michigan to create community wealth, advance physician diversity, and improve patient outcomes.
A true culture of health cannot exist without people of all backgrounds and perspectives having access to and representation within the physician workforce. Physician diversity is essential to begin to transform health culture, empower scientists and researchers under-represented in academic medicine, and improve delivery of quality care for Americans.
Reducing disparities requires proactive investment in the talented aspiring physicians who are denied acceptance to medical schools because, on paper, they are not as qualified as their well-resourced peers. The mission of the HOPE Collaborative is to provide supports to systematically increase the number of physicians and researchers from Michigan communities of economic need where there is a shortage of quality healthcare. Only 5% of medical school matriculants are members of families from the lowest economic quintile, while a full 24% are from the top 5% of income earners.
The Michigan HOPE Collaborative exists to address these specific needs by supporting core student success services, professional development opportunities, and much-needed facilitated group learning. We are building a contemporary proactive framework to connect and expand resources and partner with local and national community agencies, public health officials, school systems, and programming at the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine to equip current and future HOPE Scholars to achieve Excellence Beyond Limits. Together we can make transformational investments in the success of diverse physicians that will pay dividends to the citizens of Michigan for generations to come.
2024 Michigan HOPE Symposium
Friday, February 23, 2024
The HOPE Collaborative and Department of Surgery host an annual symposium to drive action to meet pressing health, social and advocacy needs in medicine and our communities in Michigan. The event brings together experts in the fields of academic medicine, social justice and public education to unify through conversation, strategy groups and creative workshops. Faculty members, students, health professionals and community advocates are all welcome to attend this public event.
Keynote Speaker: Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, FIDSA
View event flyer for more information.
Make a Gift to the HOPE Collaborative
Make a gift to join our mission and support the areas of highest need. Your generosity will directly support and propel students served by the Michigan HOPE Collaborative to new levels of equity and innovation. Download our Opportunities for Impact guide.
To discuss major gifts and endowment opportunities, please contact Jackie Rink, Assistant Director of Development, Department of Surgery at [email protected].
We invite you to reach out to [email protected] to learn more about the Impacting HOPE Collaborative and how we can immediately begin to improve long-term outcomes.
Dr. Newman is committed to strategizing organizational changes that allow all individuals an equal and inclusive opportunity to achieve excellence. She is Section Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice for the Rogel Cancer Center and the inaugural Michael W. Mulholland MD, PhD Research Professor of Surgery. Dr. Newman established the HOPE Collaborative to address the barriers that face today’s students and is uniquely poised to serve as a role model and fierce advocate for their success.
Dr. Perrone is deeply invested in taking action to increase diversity in medicine and equitable health outcomes. Dr. Perrone is a faculty member in the Section of Pediatric Surgery, Director of the Michigan Women’s Surgical Collaborative and Vice-Chair for Faculty Life within the Department of Surgery. Her work within the Michigan Promise focuses on culture, intentional mentorship and academic environmental design to create spaces where everyone can achieve their highest potential.
Christine is an Operations and Education leader who has served as the full-time Director of the Impacting HOPE Collaborative within the Department of Surgery since June 2021. As a former educator, she brings 15+ years of expertise in program management, curricular and instructional design, and asset-based learning methodologies to the organization. She is committed to action to increase access to opportunities for Michigan children and families, successful outcomes that support a future of health, and responsiveness to the community as we build and scale networks across dedicated teams. Contact her at [email protected] for more information about how to get involved.