First, Do No Harm: The Hidden Risk of Overcorrecting DEI in Emergency Medicine

Across the country, legislative and institutional pressures are triggering a new kind of crisis in academic medicine: overcorrection. In a well-meaning but dangerous attempt to stay “legally safe,” institutions are preemptively dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs—even where the law does not require it.

Imagine a residency director quietly removing DEI content from the curriculum—not because it's been outlawed, but out of fear it might be. A faculty member pauses a disparities-focused research project. A hospital eliminates race-based health equity dashboards to avoid scrutiny. These aren’t hypotheticals—they are real, widespread responses to a shifting political climate.

This session will explore how overcorrection and anticipatory correction can unintentionally undermine patient care, research integrity, workforce diversity, and educational outcomes. Using case-based discussions, we will analyze the practical consequences of scaling back DEI too far, too quickly.
We will also review current federal and state legislation—including recent executive orders and legal challenges—to clarify what changes are actually required by law versus those driven by fear or misinterpretation. Attendees will learn how to differentiate between legally risky practices and those that remain permissible and essential to advancing health equity.

Finally, we’ll offer examples of legally defensible, mission-aligned DEI strategies that EM physicians can adopt to protect institutional values while navigating a politically charged environment.

This timely, practical session will equip emergency physicians to hold the line on equity—ethically, strategically, and legally—ensuring that our profession’s response to legislative change remains rooted in our commitment to patient care and justice.