Jan 2022

Equity, Diversity + Inclusion (EDI) Team at Providence Health Care

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We acknowledge with gratitude that we live, work and play on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples: the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.​

At Providence, we recognise that we live in a society that continues to have systemic barriers, biases and inequities that marginalize and disenfranchise many individuals and communities.

This is why, with the endorsement of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and in partnership with the Medical Staff Association (MSA) and the Indigenous Wellness and Reconciliation (IWR) Team, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team (EDI) formed in fall 2020 to develop a comprehensive EDI strategy with dedicated resources and focussed actions.

Our goal is to help support Providence on its path towards addressing the systemic inequities that continue to pervade our society today as well as our organization, and support our staff and medical staff on their individual journeys toward equity, diversity and inclusion.​

Each section on these pages are designed to orient you with the EDI Working Plan, as well as provide useful resources on antiracism action and inclusion efforts. ​

4 Aspirations

The EDI Team is guided by four aspirations, each aimed at improving different aspects of the delivery of care. From the people we hire to our efforts in the community, it’s critical to ensure our work is provided in a way that is inclusive of all involved.  ​​

1 – As an Organization

PHC will have a reputation as an Organization of Choice because it champions anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion.

2 – As an Employer

Diverse staff will be visibly leading at every level.

3 – As a Healthcare Services Provider

Patients and families will receive care that respects their dignity and responds to their cultural, linguistic and socio-demographic needs to ensure high quality outcomes every time.

4 – As People and Professionals

PHC staff will demonstrate ongoing learning and growth in anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion.

“It’s our responsibility now as people who have privilege and have the ability to change things to start rebuilding this new post-pandemic world… one of the things we can we can do is address those structures of inequity, power, racism + colonialism”

– Fiona Dalton, CEO Providence Healthcare

 

Defining Equity, Diversity + Inclusion

Equity – The goal of treating everyone the same way ignores the fact that people can differ in their abilities, resources and experiences. Those differences – if we ignore them – tend to become barriers and we end up promoting privilege. When we treat people equitably, we acknowledge and respond to differences so they don’t become barriers.

Diversity – refers to groups of people that are identified by inherent characteristic such as race/ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.  These groups are identified in Canada’s and BC’s human rights codes.  Another way of thinking about diversity is 3D Diversity – the diversity of each of us, based on our inherent diversity, our experiential diversity and our thought diversity.

Inclusion – refers to the experience of diverse staff in the workplace.  Is everyone always treated respectfully when they come to work?  Can diverse staff feel confident that their work day will be free from racist or discriminatory comments and behaviours? Do diverse staff feel they can speak up, share the full range of their experience, knowledge and thoughts?

 

Read more here (you will need your PHC login)

https://connect.phcnet.ca/our-story/diversity-equity-inclusion