Philadelphia, PA, July 9, 2020 - Thirteen Southeastern Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems recently announced a collective commitment to combat racism, inequality and discrimination in all its forms. The partnership will ensure that healthcare organizations across the region are aligned in fostering a diverse, equitable environment and addressing healthcare disparities.
Over the past several weeks, protests and calls for racial justice and equality have intensified. Recognizing the responsibility that hospitals have for the safety and health of their community, healthcare leaders across the country are heeding the call to eradicate racism and evaluate the role that systemic racism has had in the healthcare industry.
“Racism is a healthcare issue. We cannot address socioeconomic factors that are barriers to healthcare access—like trust in healthcare providers, income, transportation, education and housing—without acknowledging that systemic racism has caused these issues to be more prevalent in communities of color. If we are truly committed to the health of our patients and neighbors, we must work together to ensure that no one is overlooked, dismissed or undeserved simply because of the color of their skin,” the group said in its letter of commitment.
“At Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, we know that racism is a public health crisis and we are committed to working together with our colleagues, patients, community members, and fellow Philadelphia healthcare institutions to address it,” says James Woodward, President and CEO, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “I invite you to join with us as a unified voice against all forms of racism and discrimination and in support of justice and equality especially for those who are oppressed and vulnerable.”
The collaboration is the latest in Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic’s ongoing commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, an initiative that was formally launched in 2019. In the years since, the regional health system has made several efforts to advance diversity training and education, including mandating unconscious bias education for all leaders, launching colleague-led Business Resource Groups to provide support for diverse colleague populations, and establishing local Diversity & Inclusion Councils to drive change at our local hospitals and continuing care organizations.
“As a Catholic healthcare organization, we are committed to bettering the communities in which we serve. I am very proud of the work that Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic has done to increase access to food security and address social determinates of health, while continuing to make our hospitals safe, welcoming and inclusive for all who come through our doors. We want to be prepared to meet the various cultural needs of those we serve, and we believe that when all ideas are heard, respected and valued, we as an organization are more successful. We are committed to making it easy for our patients and families to be their authentic selves without fear of judgement, prejudice, or violence,” says Woodward.
By pledging their support to this commitment, participating hospitals and health systems have agreed to address these health disparities. Additionally, each participant has committed to fostering diverse, inclusive environments by hiring and promoting leaders of color, establishing relationships with community partners to address chronic health conditions, improving access to primary and specialty care, and increasing the collection of data to understand—and ultimately better meet— the health needs of our patients and community.