A recent recognition that diversity and inclusion are essential in an increasingly diverse society and patient population has elicited an intentional effort to promote and expand diversity in our organizations. Over the past several years, the number of women in the traditionally male-dominated field of urology has increased,¹ but still, there is a lag in representation. It is therefore a great achievement to have Dr Lorie Fleck as the first female president of the Southeastern Section of the AUA (SESAUA) in 90 years and Dr Lourdes Guerrios-Rivera as the first female president of the Puerto Rico Urological Association in 75 years. They will join the efforts to continue increasing representation in the urological field and continue serving a diverse patient population.

The SESAUA represents the AUA subgeographical area with some of the greatest diversity in the organization. As leaders in the field, Dr Fleck and Dr Guerrios-Rivera will continue to focus on improving inclusiveness within their professional spheres. Evidence has shown that improvement in health disparities has been associated with the efforts and inclusion of women physicians as well as physicians from underrepresented and/or ethnic groups.^2-4

A report focusing on ethnic and racial equality showed that “despite the national priority to eliminate health disparities, more than half of national physician organizations are doing little to address this problem.”⁵

Over the past decade, the SESAUA has made a dedicated effort to include and encourage meeting attendance of fellow urologists from Panama and the US Virgin Islands.⁶ After the historic catastrophic Hurricane Maria in 2017, the SESAUA temporarily set aside standard meeting attendance fees to encourage participation by the urologists affected and assisted the membership in other alternatives to provide help.⁶

Both organizations have maintained a close relationship and are working to improve the urological care in their underserved communities. In 2022, the SESAUA, the Puerto Rico Urological Association, and the Urology Care Foundation™ joined efforts to support humanitarian work within the geographic area of Puerto Rico and created an endowment fund initiative focused on eliminating health disparities.

Additional future strategies include recognizing and promoting deserving members and funding research and education to advocate for health policies and legislation. This will also require metrics to identify the needs and challenges of their diverse membership.

Both Dr Guerrios-Rivera and Dr Fleck are advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their organizations. They recognize that this advocacy makes their work more complex and challenging. The time and effort expenditure for all advocates of DEI increases a multitude of responsibilities and tasks.

As the first female presidents of these 2 organizations, they will continue promoting DEI initiatives and content by igniting the dialogue and discussion. Most importantly, they will inspire action to protect and promote the next generations of female and underrepresented urological leaders and improve the care of their communities.

Disclaimer: The contents do not represent the views of the US Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.