BA, Journalism and Mass Communications
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Joyce Clark Hicks is a Senior Medical Editor and co-lead of RTI-HS’s inclusive language initiative, specializing in promoting racial and ethnic diversity. As the primary editor for RTI-HS’s Surveys and Observational Studies and US Health Preference Assessment groups, she believes firmly in the transformative power of using inclusive language to enhance respondent participation and strengthen scientific data. A lifelong champion of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, Mrs. Hicks uses her expertise and experience to advise researchers and clients on ways to advance health equity through the use of inclusive language. She co-leads both internal and external training sessions, equipping medical writers with practical applications for incorporating inclusive language into their work.
Mrs. Hicks has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor. She began her career as a health reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh, NC, and other publications, where she reported on a diverse array of people, communities, and medical conditions. She worked as a content editor for GSK before joining RTI Health Solutions.
Throughout her tenure at Health Solutions, Mrs. Hicks has held key leadership roles. Mrs. Hicks has written editing guidances and helped revise and expand RTI-HS’s editorial style guide and questionnaires with a focus on inclusive language. She served as the inaugural vice chair of RTI-HS’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council and as a liaison to the RTI Racial Justice and Equity Leadership Council. She has also contributed her expertise as a member of RTI’s EDIB Leadership Council, RTI-HS’s Health Equity/Diversity Market Growth Team, and is a member of RTI’s Black Employee Resource Group.
Her expertise in promoting inclusive practices in medical writing was recognized in 2022 when she co-presented on Inclusive Language Best Practices for Medical Writing and Editing at both the regional and national American Medical Writers Association conferences. In 2023, she was a contributing author to an ISPOR poster on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Patient-Centered Drug Development.