Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Our core values of social justice for diverse populations, communities and integrity have provided the compass that has guided our work and strengthened our pursuit of promoting diversity and inclusion in health care, academia, my community, and the workforce. We will engage the state Inclusion Council to provide leadership throughout the visioning process and give particular attention to how to hire the best departments and the people they serve on health-related matters. Leveraging our personal experience, years of leadership and teaching, and research deepening our commitment to improving the health and inclusiveness of diverse populations through creating a cultural curriculum that identifies patients and communities at high risk for stigma, unconscious bias, and discrimination. We strive to maintain knowledge and sensitivity of the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity on public health issues. We have a long-standing commitment to reducing inequities in health care and improving equity and diversity among marginalized minority populations.

We believe that our company cannot succeed in implementing the contracts it is awarded if there is no respect among our employees and the staff of the organizations we work with. Therefore, our philosophy is to ensure that our staff, board, and volunteers represent different shades (different racial backgrounds (races, sexual orientations, gender, and economic status) of people in the USA to ensure diversity. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all staff, volunteers, and members feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other bias. We ensure that different voices are heard, that people feel respected and valued, and that they are in environments where they can do their best work. We foster an inclusive workplace by ensuring that our senior team leaders reach out to other staff members for intentional conversations about ways our company can be more inclusive in all its operations. We consciously celebrate employee differences, assigning newer employees “buddies” and ensuring there is a mechanism for employees and volunteers to provide feedback. We are committed to being non-discriminatory and giving equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, and advancement in all areas of our work. We respect the value that diverse life experiences bring to our company, and we strive to listen to their views and give them value. We are committed to modeling diversity, inclusion, and equity and maintaining fair and equal treatment. We have developed a system to create awareness and address biases during recruiting, hiring, and evaluating. We have trained our personnel to orient, onboard, and train our staff and volunteers on equitable practices. In summary, our philosophy on our goals to provide informed leadership for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the health services we provide include:

We will strive to see diversity, inclusion, and equity in connection with our vision and mission to benefit those we serve.
We aim to recognize and address inequities in our policies and services.
We aim to continuously update and document progress on our diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
We promise to investigate underlying assumptions that interfere with our diversity policy.
We commit to advocating for systemic inequities that impact our work at all levels and address it according to this policy and our mission.
We commit to challenging commonly accepted notions about what constitutes strong leadership within our company.
We commit to being transparent about diversity in all our interactions.
We will dedicate our time and resources to expanding diversity within our leadership positions.
We commit to leading with respect and tolerance and encourage all employees and volunteers to express this in their work within our company.

Our company abides by the following action items to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in our work:

We have created new learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies as we strive for cultural competency throughout our company
We conduct or identify research related to equity to make progress in diversity, inclusion, and equity, and we share our findings publicly on our website.
We take action to improve diversity, inclusion, and equity in our board and leadership positions.
We have developed internal resources demonstrating our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
We have developed a system to create awareness and address biases during recruiting, hiring, and evaluating.
We have trained our personnel to orient, onboard, and train our staff and volunteers on equitable practices.
We are transparent about the salary range for public job descriptions.
We advocate for public and private policies in the public sector that promote diversity, inclusion, and equity, and we challenge systems and procedures that describe inequity, disparity, and oppression.