Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our Commitment To You

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Mission Health

Many Differences, One Mission: At Mission Health, we believe excellence in healthcare starts with a foundation of inclusion, compassion and respect for our patients and each other. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion across all areas of our organization and do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, disability, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, payment source or ability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Furthermore, our commitment extends across all areas of our organization where we value differences and similarities. Our standard of practice is to exist as a fair, equitable, healthy and inclusive organization that aligns with and supports our patients, our workforce and the communities that we serve.

 

Our Goals

Our goals and strategies focus on five key pillars:

Patients – Advancing health equity as a system priority and reinforcing our commitment to eliminate health disparities; Ensuring access to services for patients who have limited English proficiency, are deaf or hard of hearing, are blind or have low vision, or have service animal.

Colleagues – Fostering an engaged and inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive; Strengthening the diversity of our talent pipeline at all levels; Accelerating the advancement of people of color and women in leadership; Expanding and scaling educational programming and resources.

Suppliers – Promoting the inclusion of diverse businesses within our supplier base and ensuring contracted suppliers reflect the communities we serve; Engaging a diverse range of small businesses to meet subcontractor needs for capital projects.

Boards – Ensuring that boards reflect our values in the communities we serve; Seeking greater diversity in board composition.

Community – Cultivating and sustaining community partnerships that deepen our understanding and broaden our reach; Building healthier communities by addressing root causes of health inequities and supporting social justice.

Why Does Diversity in Healthcare Matter?

  • Diversity fosters a more qualified, engaged, creative and innovative workforce
  • Better positions Mission to serve with all populations in our community and region
  • Disparities in health and healthcare limit continued improvement in overall quality of care and population health and result in unnecessary costs
  • Diversity enhances the intellectual, emotional, economic, moral and spiritual life of a community

Strengthening Our Commitment

Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity Council

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council is comprised of approximately 20 Mission Health team members. These team members represent a variety of roles and locations across Mission Health and are committed to being a catalyst for equity, inclusion and engagement for all.

Mission Health Colleague Networks

In 2021, Mission Health began the process of launching division-wide Colleague Networks. These are voluntary, colleague-led groups that convene around a shared commonality or experience to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace. Shared commonalities and experiences may include race, ethnicity, gender, generation, veteran status, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other attributes and topics.

These groups will provide our colleagues with a safe space to discuss challenges and opportunities and will create value for the organization in the areas of community, recruiting, professional development, and innovation.

Language Services

Interpretive Services recognize the needs of patients who are members of linguistic and culturally diverse groups having Limited English Proficiency (LEP), as well as those who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), by providing them with a trained medical interpreter. We will provide interpretive services for any LEP or DHH patient receiving care at any inpatient or outpatient area of the hospital system.

Vision Statement

Interpretive Services will create a system by which Limited English Proficient (LEP) or Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) patients have the opportunity to receive optimal healthcare at all times, equal to that of any English-speaking patient.

Workforce diversity engagement coalition

Mission Health is one of the founding members of the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition. The DEC brings people together to collectively support the professional development, engagement and inclusion of multicultural professionals within the member organizations in western North Carolina. Mission employees are able to participate in free professional development series and networking events. For more information, visit wncdec.com.

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