Empowering our Employees and Community to Achieve Health Equity
Empowerment is the degree of independence and self-determination in people and communities. Knowledge can lead to empowerment and our goal is to empower everyone through the following areas:
Resources are available in each section below so you can feel empowered to bring about positive change.
Education
We realize that everyone has a different understanding of racism and implicit bias and how they impact how people are treated in healthcare settings. This makes it imperative to provide resources about these topics that support differentiating facts from fiction.
Advocacy
We want to equip our employees and the community with materials, research and templates to contact their legislative representatives. We want them to have the tools to address the issues they see in their communities. Empowering those to move from awareness to action.
Resources
How to Contact Your Legislators and Public Officials (To be written as private citizen, not on behalf of Summa)
How to self-advocate at the doctor’s office
Health
Health is our specialty. We identify ways to offer equitable healthcare to the communities we serve. We evaluate what disparities and social drivers of health are in our community and how we can meet the healthcare needs of our communities.
When we have a diverse and educated workforce, we can better understand the needs of our patients and communities. And when we create an inclusive environment, we empower everyone. We do this by:
- Recruiting, hiring and promoting individuals from all backgrounds and experiences
- Providing training and development opportunities that help our employees build their skills and knowledge – cultural competency
- Creating a workplace where everyone feels safe and respected
- Supporting our community partners and working to address health disparities