On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor a visionary civil rights leader who was instrumental in advancing social justice and racial equity. Dr. King’s work fundamentally transformed America, challenging the systemic inequities in education, healthcare and economics that arise from racism.
Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
At UW Medicine, our work — every day — is on behalf of our patients and the communities we serve. We seek to improve the health of the public and are committed to eliminating health inequities; it is inherently a social justice mission. As King reminded us: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires…the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
UW Medicine is a tapestry of dedicated individuals. On Jan. 16, we gathered to celebrate a few of them: The 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Award recipients. The award winners’ remarkable work to advance healthcare equity is illustrated through their actions. Here are examples of their efforts:
- Organizing dentistry students to provide patient care to clients of non-profit organizations, including, but not limited to, Mary’s Place and Caring Hands.
- Founding an advocacy group for Black women with endometrial cancer.
- Implementing programming to improve patient-clinician communications and address racial disparities in pre-term birth.
Let us continue Dr. King’s work by reflecting on the power of one person to do good and make change and the power of an organization to reduce societal and health disparities. We encourage you to take advantage of the resources provided by UW Medicine’s Office of Healthcare Equity to learn about the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice. On their website, you will also find events and access to talks and foundational trainings, such as the History of Race and Racism in Medicine and Science and Identity, Privilege and Intersectionality.
Dr. King’s dream can live on in our actions. Thank you for being a part of our vital work to achieve healthcare equity.
Sincerely,
Timothy H. Dellit, MD (He, Him, His)
CEO, UW Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the School of Medicine,
University of Washington
Paula L. Houston, EdD, MHA (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Equity Officer
Office of Healthcare Equity, UW Medicine
Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Bessie A. Young, MD, MPH (She, Her, Hers)
Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Healthcare Equity, UW Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine,
University of Washington
Brad Simmons (He, Him, His)
President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Alexander Chiu, MD (He, Him, His)
Executive Vice Dean, UW School of Medicine
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Jacqueline Cabe (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Financial Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Becca Kelly (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Advancement Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Anneliese Schleyer, MD, MHA (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
Cindy Hecker (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Executive Officer
UW Medical Center
Sommer Kleweno Walley, MHA, MA (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Executive Officer
Harborview Medical Center
Jeannine Erickson Grinnell (She, Her, Hers)
Chief Executive Officer
Valley Medical Center
Erica Floyd (She, Her, Hers)
Interim Executive Director
UW Physicians
Pranika Laing (She, Her, Hers)
Associate Administrator
UW Medicine Primary Care and Population Health
Jeff Richey, RN, MHA, FACHE (He, Him, His)
Associate Administrator
Airlift Northwest
Lab Medicine, Pathology and Telecommunication
Harborview Medical Center
