Dr. Teresa Y. Smith-Bellille

Dr. Teresa Y. Smith-Bellille, MD, MSEd, currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Dr. Smith-Bellille has spent her career championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine; safe, inclusive clinical learning environments for ALL learners to thrive; and state and federal health policies that impact the recruitment of a diverse workforce. While maintaining her interest in medical education, she has recently turned her career towards clinical operations. She is interested in health equity and in integrating health policy advocacy with equitable practices and innovative approaches to developing holistic care for patients visiting emergency departments in low-resourced areas. She is also interested in the utility of AI in medical education and emergency medicine practice. After completing her undergraduate degree at Spelman College, Dr. Smith-Bellille attended NYU School of Medicine and completed her training in emergency medicine at NYU/Bellevue Hospital. After completing fellowship, she obtained a Master's in Medical Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently completing a Master of Business Administration and Health Services Administration at SUNY Oswego. Dr. Smith-Bellille received the Dr. Dale Blackstock Award in Teaching and Excellence for her demonstrated commitment to advising and mentoring medical students and trainees. She has authored many articles on diversity, equity, inclusion, and diversifying the physician workforce. She has been consulted by accreditation agencies and both state and federal governmental bodies for her expertise. She was also honored among the National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 Under 40 Minority Leaders in 2019. In 2022, Dr. Smith-Bellille led her institution in receiving the ACGME’s Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. In 2023, Dr. Smith-Bellille was awarded a Josiah Macy Foundation President's Grant for her efforts to reimagine remediation and create inclusive clinical learning environments where all learners can thrive.