MultiCare is committed to cultivating, sustaining and evolving a genuine culture of belonging \u2014 an environment where all people feel valued and welcome for who they are. Celebrating the history and culture of each person on our team and in our community is a key part of that.<\/p>\n
In recognition of Black History Month, we asked MultiCare employees to share their thoughts and the ways they recognize the observance.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what they had to say.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heritage provides me with a sense of pride in knowing my roots and the sacrifices made by my ancestors that I have benefited from. I celebrate Black History Month by sharing educational posts on my social media that reflect Black History and celebrate the achievements of Black Americans.\u201d <\/em> \u201cI am white and have come to understand how profoundly that has shaped my experience of the world compared to how BIPOC experience it. I celebrate Black History Month by reflecting on the strength, courage, resilience and joy of the Black community through history.\u201d <\/em> \u201cMy heritage serves as a symbol of resiliency for me. I choose to acknowledge Black History Month by bringing awareness to the constant challenges we face and putting in the effort to motivate change.\u201d <\/em> \u201cBeing an African American\/Black American is all I know. To me, it means being resilient. It means having pride. It means having a strong foundation that arises from spirituality, showing love in difficult times, music, education and community. \u2026 For Black History Month, I will continue to honor the ones who came before me by remembering the sacrifices that were made to enable me to be here in the PNW and at MultiCare.\u201d <\/em> \u201cA culture of belonging embraces and celebrates our unique heritage and traditions. We heal each other by sharing these within our community. One is not better than the other but we are complemented by each other. A culture of belonging addresses systems of power that are responsible for the continued repression of communities. A culture of belonging admits folly and takes steps to repair and heal the wounds.\u201d <\/em> \u201cTruly listening to other human beings’ needs and perspectives, regardless of their skin color or culture, while simultaneously acknowledging those needs.\u201d <\/em> \u201cI feel as if statistics need to be addressed when it comes to health care for Black Americans. According to CDC, in 2023 the mortality rate for Black women giving birth was three times higher compared to white, Hispanic and Asian women. Also, according to Pew Research Center article in 2022, 55 percent of Black adults had at least one negative experience \u2026 with doctors or other health care providers. Seventy-one percent of Black women ages 18-49 also reported at least one negative experience. \u2026 I believe health care needs to focus on bringing these numbers down.\u201d \u201cTo address health disparities among Black Americans \u2014 representation matters. By having more Black voices and allies to advocate for and to educate the community. Having more nurses, more physicians and more community leaders to support and to speak up even when it isn\u2019t popular or cool to do so, always do the right thing \u2014 that means having integrity.\u201d MultiCare is committed to cultivating, sustaining and evolving a genuine culture of belonging \u2014 an environment where all people feel valued and welcome for who they are. Celebrating the history and culture of each person on our team and in our community is a key part of that. In recognition of Black History Month, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":115,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,59,155],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-events","category-health-equity"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u2014 Alana Koponen, utilization management specialist, RN<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n\u2014 Marguerite Richmond, internal communications director, MultiCare Behavioral Health Network<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n\u2014 Carren Harris-Grant, vascular ultrasound student<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n\u2014 Aundrea Stormer, RN<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWhat does a culture of belonging mean to you?<\/h2>\n
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\n\u2014 Jennifer Vigil, health equity and impact manager<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n\u2014 Sarah Byron-Smith, privacy specialist<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIn your opinion, how can we best address health care disparities among Black Americans?<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/em>\u2014 Nerissa, distribution specialist<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n<\/em>\u2014 Aundrea Stormer, RN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"