Annals of Family Medicine Appoints José E Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP as New Associate Editor

LEAWOOD, Kan. — José E Rodríguez, a family physician in Salt Lake City and associate vice president for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at University of Utah Health, has been appointed associate editor of the Annals of Family Medicine, a bimonthly, peer-reviewed clinical research journal for primary care. As associate editor, Rodriguez will help lead the Annals in its mission to better understand and improve health and primary care.

“Dr. Rodriguez’s background in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion—with a special interest in underrepresented minority faculty in academic medicine—make him the ideal candidate for this role,” said Carolyn Richardson, MD, editor-in-chief of the Annals.  “His expertise will help further guide the journal as it continues to fulfill its commitment to confront systemic racism and eliminate health disparities in primary care and primary care research.”

For most of his career, Rodríguez has provided primary care for underserved minority communities in New York, Florida and Utah. In addition to leading its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Rodríguez is a professor in University of Utah Health’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. In addition, he serves as a leadership coach and mentor to many underrepresented minority junior faculty members nationally and at the University of Utah.

Previously, Rodríguez founded and co-directed the Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine at Florida State University, where he conducted research on systemic barriers to the recruitment of underrepresented minority faculty (i.e., Black, Latinx, Native American, etc.) and identified essential components of successful faculty development for underrepresented minority faculty members nationally.

“I am excited to join the Annals of Family Medicine editorial team in its efforts to advance health equity, both in and out of the exam room,” Rodríguez said. “This opportunity opens the door to address publication bias and to help get more of the science behind equity, diversity and inclusion into the medical literature.”

“I am passionate about eliminating systemic anti-Black racism in medicine and addressing the deficiencies of academic medicine by equipping underrepresented minority physicians. like me, with the tools to succeed in a system that was not designed for us,” he added. “Working with the Annals will be a powerful platform to advance these goals.  I am honored and delighted to be selected to work with such a talented editorial team.”

Editor’s note: To interview Dr. Rodríguez, please contact Janelle Davis at jdavis@aafp.org or (913) 912-0377.

# # #

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed, indexed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care disciplines. Launched in May 2003, Annals sponsored by seven family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, the North American Primary Care Research Group, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Annals is published six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups for each published article can be accessed free of charge on the journal’s website, www.annfammed.org.