Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity
Equity, inclusion and diversity is vital to WMCHealth’s mission in advancing the highest quality care to all, regardless of their background or socioeconomic condition.
The Office aims to foster an equitable, inclusive and diverse culture that is welcoming to our diverse patients, staff and communities we serve.
Who We Are
The Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity has network wide responsibility for the development and implementation of strategies and solutions to foster an equitable, inclusive and diverse culture that is welcoming to our patients, workforce, and communities across the Hudson Valley.
What We Do
We serve as a resource to advance initiatives that integrate effective equity, inclusion and diversity practices into day-to-day operations, processes and employee development.
Providing guidance and support, we work to build individual and organizational capacity for a more culturally effective and inclusive organization.
Definitions
The following definitions offer shared meaning to the work.
EQUITY: Fairness in the way people are treated.
INCLUSION: Action and behavior that encourages participation and creates environments that honor individual uniqueness and fosters a sense of belonging for everyone.
DIVERSITY: Similarities and differences in the range of human identities in socioecological, historical, and cultural contexts.
CULTURAL RESPONSIVE CARE: Ability to provide care to patients with diverse values, beliefs and behaviors, that includes tailoring health care delivery to meet patients’ social, cultural and linguistic needs.
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affects a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
For an expanded list of definitions, visit AHA Institute for Diversity and Health Equity.
Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Roadmap
WMCHealth’s mission is to provide the highest-quality care for all residents of the Hudson Valley. We believe the work we do in equity, inclusion, and diversity will not only reinforce our ability as an academic medical center-led network to provide the highest quality, patient-centered care in a respectful and compassionate environment but also lead the transformation of health care in the Hudson Valley to continuously respond to the needs of its diverse population.
The Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Plan is a roadmap to advance equity, inclusion and diversity goals across the network and represents WMCHealth’s commitment to:
- Improve access to equitable care and advance health equity;
- Foster a strong culture of inclusion in the workplace;
- Optimize employee diversity to better reflect the communities we serve; and
- Promote economic equity and a more inclusive supplier base.
View the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Plan