Mayo Clinic Stands Out
Despite rising labor costs fueled by staffing shortages as some of the biggest challenges straining most hospital budgets Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit healthcare system stands out in its results as they’ve come at a time when many nonprofit hospitals have faced pressure on their operations from a surge in COVID 19 cases in the second half of the past year. And through it all, Mayo has been recognized by DiversityInc, as one of the Top 3 Health Systems for its inclusive efforts and best practices. For the seventh consecutive year, Mayo Clinic also earned the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report best hospitals rankings.
In 2020, the Rochester Minnesota-based institution committed to racial equity. Our distinguished guest, Dr. Anjali Bhagra, Chief Medical Director at Mayo Clinic of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) joins us to share insights on Mayo’s journey, and the path forward in 2022, and beyond. We explore the path in three key areas relevant to successful organizational change and equity, which requires 1) Commitment from the top, 2) Development of shared language and capability for all employees, and 3) Partnership with impacted communities.
In August 2020, Dr. Bhagra was designated as the new medical director of Mayo Clinic’s office of equity, inclusion, and diversity. A clinical investigative internist and professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Bhagra also leads an active research program focused on enhancing resilience, decreasing stress and anxiety, healthy aging, through optimism and happiness, leadership and resilience, work-life balance and stress reduction in women, health care professionals and trainees.
Mayo Clinic EID Highlights & Welcoming Culture
Local
Program highlights locally include RISE for Youth, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the Rochester branch of the NAACP program which received funding through Mayo Clinic’s $100 million commitment against racism, and drew rave reviews from scholars, community partners, and Mayo Clinic staff. It was designed to help Black and underrepresented students transform themselves from youth with potential to competitive and empowered talent entering the workforce. It creates new pathways for success by providing students with critical educational and leadership skills, training, and long-term mentoring for successful careers in health care, science, and beyond.
Global
On a global level, Mayo is a founding member of the World Economic Forum, Partnering for Racial Justice and Business Initiative. The initiative is a global coalition of organizations and their C-suite leaders committed to leveraging their individual and collective power to build equitable and just workplaces for professionals with under-represented racial and ethnic identities. The objective is to confront racism at a systemic level — addressing everything from the structural and social mechanics of their own organizations to the role they play in the communities in which they operate and the economy at large.
This global community of committed leaders across industries seeks to define racial equity in different parts of the world and Mayo contributes through the lens of healthcare in racial justice and business.
“Mayo Clinic stands united in strong commitment towards antiracism and rejecting all discrimination. Our vision is to create a global environment of empowered belonging for everyone. This vision of belonging is a welcoming culture, where all voices and perspectives are encouraged, acknowledged, celebrated and valued.” – Dr. Anjali Bhagra
National
Mayo Employee Resource Groups (MERGS) are open to all Mayo Clinic employees to celebrate, support, and encourage diversity.
Mayo Clinic’s Annual RISE Conference (Reflect, Inspire, Strengthen & Empower) brings experts in different industries to exchange ideas across the healthcare industry in a national dialogue on the art and science of transforming Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) in health care. The multi-day session is open to all individuals interested in advancing health equity and diversity and inclusion in healthcare. EID in workforce development and organizational culture is essential to providing optimal patient care, achieving health equity, and attracting and engaging the workforce of the future.
Participants join a national healthcare dialogue and explore evidence-based solutions and innovative initiatives. Keynote presentations by leading experts and panel discussions cover health disparities and digital equity. Poster presentations provide knowledge and inspire healthcare leaders to advance and direct policy, programs, and institutional initiatives to expand EDI activities. Poster submissions doubled from the prior year. Mayo seeks partners for poster sessions beyond the annual RISE conference. If you are interested, contact us to learn more.
The ultimate goal is to construct a robust ecosystem across sectors to elevate equity and inclusion, creating dynamic partnerships and breaking down the siloed nature of this work. We all benefit when leading experts across industries share best practice strategies. Listen to this enlightening conversation with Dr. Bhagra for an overview of Mayo’s culture and systems to drive Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in an industry-leading global healthcare organization. Please subscribe and leave a review.
