Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 5, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 23 D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N F O C U S Special Sponsored Section WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE ALL FACED THE NEED FOR HEALING? If everyone found the courage to face the mirror, and take a deep look inside at the role we all play in inclusion. If we all faced the truth that even though progress is being made, there is more progress to make—then the world would not just change for the better, it would heal. At UMass Memorial Health, we will continue to be the face of change, a source of healing, and a place where everyone has a place. ummhealth.org THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF HEALING A s our nation grapples with the deep-seated impact of racial injustice and systemic racism, UMass Memorial Health continues to affirm our commitment to dismantling the systems that contribute to the ongoing inequities affecting marginalized groups. Locally and nationally, health disparities exist and adversely affect groups that have experienced greater social or economic obstacles to optimal health and health care. As human beings, healers, caregivers and leaders, we have a responsibility to end the racial disparities and racist behaviors that impede our health care mission. While UMass Memorial is just at the beginning of our journey, we have been diligently working toward overcoming the historical inequities that threaten the health of our communities. Here are a few examples of our work to date: • UMass Memorial Health's Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging is setting the direction of our work in this area, so we can make needed improvements to become a more inclusive organization for our caregivers and a more welcoming place of healing for our patients and families. • Our first Health Equity Report chronicles some of the major initiatives we've taken to deepen our awareness of and sensitivities to social conditions — such as housing, education, employment, economic stability and food security — that can negatively impact the overall health of the communities we serve. • We implemented a $1 million Health Equity and Inclusion Seed Program to grow ideas designed to promote equity in our health care delivery and foster a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture. • We're investing in anti-racism and unconscious bias training, which teaches our caregivers how varying forms of racism and oppression affect behaviors and decision-making, and how caregivers and teams can lead with an equity lens. • We've established the Diversity, Recruitment, Equity, Accountability, Mentoring (DREAM) Advisory Council, which serves to build diverse internal pipelines to support caregiver career development and advancement, as well as diversity-generating external pipelines to support staffing needs at UMass Memorial. • We're increasing our representation at and support of local diversity-related events, including the YWCA Central Massachusetts' Stand Against Racism Breakfast and the Pride Worcester Festival. Confronting racism, microaggressions or unconscious biases while elevating hope and opportunities for healing is a delicate balance. We must lean on each other to foster healing and compassion through the belief that we can be the change we wish to see in our own backyard, across our country and around the globe. We are committed to engaging our more than 17,000 caregivers in support of our relentless pursuit to achieve our goals of giving equitable care and being a more welcoming, inclusive place for our patients, their families and our caregivers alike. Eric Dickson, MD, President and CEO, UMass Memorial Health Brian Gibbs, PhD, Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Officer, UMass Memorial Health UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH: Elevating Hope and Opportunities for Healing W Eric Dickson, MD and Brian Gibbs, PhD

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