Fewer words, more action: Cultivating an anti-racist environment strategies/solutions (CARES) framework for physician assistant education

This article serves as the final installment of my 4-year tenure as feature editor. During that time, this feature has offered pertinent information and tools to promote diversity and inclusive practices. A common theme emerged over the past 4 years, resulting in the retiring of “Cultural Perspectives” and its rebirth as “Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” (JEDI). The current article offers a tangible framework as we strive toward antiracism in physician assistant (PA) education and beyond into academic medicine and higher education. The authors have leveraged their robust experiences and expertise to create the Cultivating an Anti-Racist Environment Strategies/Solutions (CARES) framework—a valuable resource, particularly at this time. The year 2020 ripped off the bandage and exposed us to the ills of centuries of racism in our country; however, we cannot stay in suspended animation. It is now time to deploy targeted actions to deconstruct racist principles and practices, seen and unseen, in the PA profession. The CARES framework offers a foundation on which to build multilevel antiracist interventions in PA education. This framework, coupled with the PAEA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit, can help guide programs and institutions toward becoming more just, diverse, inclusive, and equitable.