Rickquel “Rikki” Tripp, MD, MPH, CDR USN, FAEMS, is an associate professor and vice chair of engagement and social impact in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She is an emergency and EMS physician (MD 12) at UPMC and serves as vice chair of belonging, excellence, and engagement for UPMC Graduate Medical Education.
Dr. Tripp has chaired the Networking Committee of the Physician Inclusion Council of Pitt and UPMC (PICUP) since 2017. She is also the co-chair of the department's DEI committee and a former founding Vice Chair of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) DEI Committee from 2020-2022. She has created and promoted many initiatives to include UPSTANDER & Allyship training workshop; EMS Implicit Bias training; UPMC GME and NAEMSP Townhalls addressing systemic racism, cultivating healing, & health disparities; Virtual URiM Recruitment Diversity Brunches; Rainbow Recruitment for LGBTQIA+ communities; and antiracism curriculum FOREM (Framework of Race Equity medicine); and creating a Department Diversity Champions list for better networking and communication. She is also the co-founder of Akoma United, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching life-saving skills such as CPR, Narcan use, and Stop the Bleed training to underserved communities.
Dr. Tripp has received numerous awards for her outstanding accomplishments and dedication to DEI including the UPMC Award for Commitment and Excellence in Service (ACES) in 2019, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Social Justice Educator Award in 2023, Onyx Woman Leadership Award in 2023, YWCA Bridge Builder Award in 2023, Gateway Medical Society Healthcare Policy & Advocacy Champion Award in 2024, and Iota Phi Foundation Exemplary Service Award for Medicine in 2024.
Dr. Tripp completed her undergraduate degree at Bryn Mawr College, then earned her medical degree at Johns Hopkins University and her master's degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago, and her fellowship in emergency medical services at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to Dr. Tripp's service as a Commander in the US Navy Reserves and her previous service as a flight surgeon while on active duty, she is an exceptional leader, mentor, and educator within the UPMC/Pitt community and nationally. Her mission to improve health equity extends to international initiatives to improve global care for underserved populations.
Affiliations
Board Certifications
- Emergency Medicine - American Board of Emergency Medicine
- Emergency Medical Services - American Board of Emergency Medicine
Education & Training
- Fellowship in Emergency Medical Services - University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Residency in Emergency Medicine - University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- MD - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- MPH - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- BS - Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
