Each year April is nationally observed as Diversity Awareness Month. It was established in 2004 by two national diversity companies, Minneapolis-based ProGroup, Inc. and Washington D.C.-based Diversity Best Practices. It was approved by Congress in 2005 to “recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all by celebrating differences and similarities in hopes that people will gain a deeper understanding of each other.”
What is diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Diversity refers to differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and/or mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make individuals unique.
Equity refers to the commitment to fair treatment and the elimination of barriers that inhibit access, professional growth, and advancement by underrepresented groups.
Inclusion: Kettering Health desires for our community to experience a sense of belonging, a high level of engagement, and shared decision-making. Furthermore, we believe it is vitally important for each person to strive toward understanding the needs and perspectives of others. We believe it is only through inclusion that organizations can benefit from diversity. We consider inclusion to occur when a diverse group of people feel valued and respected, have access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute their talents to improve the organization. Inclusion is about how well the contributions, presence, and perspectives of different groups of people are valued and integrated into an environment.
The ultimate goal is that every person who works, volunteers, or visits any Kettering Health facility has a sense of Belonging.
Community events
Throughout the month, events will take place in our community to celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Below are a few of those upcoming events and details on how to participate.
Monday, April 3, 10, 17, and 24, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Sessions Repeat – You only need to attend one)
Lunch and Learn Health Education Series Think Tank on the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE). Join this free event to understand better the realities of poverty in America, which can help impact the families we serve at our facilities. More information
Thursday, April 6, 6:30 p.m.
Join Inform Your Community for this free, fun, virtual discussion from DEI experts and professionals. More information
Tuesday, April 11, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Learn information and best practices to best serve individuals with disabilities. More information
Tuesday, April 11, 2-3:30 p.m.
This in-person performance is based on a patient’s real-life story of the highs and lows of Parkinson’s Disease. More information
Thursday, April 13, 3:30 p.m.
Join Sinclair College’s Diversity for a pre-recorded TEDTalk. More information
Sunday, April 16, 9:45 a.m.
Shashank Sarvepalli, MD will speak at Temple Israel during the Dorothee and Louis Ryterband Lecture Series. Dr. Sarvepalli is a gastroenterologist specializing in motility disorders at Kettering Health. Call (937) 496-0050 to register.
Monday, April 17, 1-2 p.m. (Zoom meeting)
Tuesday, April 18, 3:30 p.m.
In-person pre-recorded SpeakOut Ed Talk by Renee Tajima-Pena and Helen Zia. More information
Wednesday, April 19, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
This free event focuses on understanding various health disparities that exist within the minority population of Montgomery County. More information
Thursday, April 20, 8:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
Hybrid event sponsored by The Atlantic. More information
Thursday, April 20, 3:30 p.m.
Join this in-person screening of a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American dream. There will be a discussion following the screening. More information
Tuesday, April 25, 3:30 p.m.
Join this in-person screening of a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American dream. There will be a discussion following the screening. More information
Thursday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.
THE MOTH celebrates the ability of stories to honor both the diversity and commonality of human experience, and to satisfy a vital human need for connection. More information
Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Enjoy and experience Eastern European cultures with food, music, entertainment, folk art, and more at this festival. More information
Monday, April 17, Wednesday, April 19, and Tuesday, April 25 from Noon-1 p.m. via Teams
Join Robert Patterson as he facilitates workshops illuminating the relationship between the law and DEI. The focus topics are Age and Disability, Gender and Sexual Orientation, and Race and Religion. More information
Why does DEI matter?
Research shows a culture of diversity is linked to positive patient experience, retention, innovation of thought, and employee engagement.
Kettering Health’s mission to improve the quality of life of the people in the communities we serve through healthcare and education, is not just about our patients. This is also true for our employees, physicians and providers, volunteers, and students. We live out our mission when each and every person who enters our facilities has a sense of belonging and connection to others.
Kettering Health’s commitment to DEI
Kettering Health has made it a distinct priority to continue to grow, adapt, and nuance our approaches to cultivating an equitable, inclusive workplace. This remains our deliberate response to God’s vision for the world, one in which we see a thriving community made “from every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).
Kettering Health is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”). By doing so, we can fulfill our faith-based mission by caring for all with excellence, empathy, and compassion in the communities we serve.
In a diverse workplace people require support in different ways to achieve optimal performance. Equity asks us to acknowledge that everyone has different needs, experiences, and opportunities. By recognizing our differences, we will best support success of our people and teams.
Kettering Health believes that diversity and inclusion are essential to providing the best quality care to patients because different perspectives and backgrounds enable us to understand and meet our communities’ needs more effectively and compassionately.
Desired outcomes
DEI outcomes include, but are not limited to:
- Equal employment opportunity in the hiring, promotion, and employment process and the elimination of barriers to that end
- Sourcing pipelines to create an expanded candidate pool beyond familiar relationships so our organization represents the communities we serve
- A culture that is inclusive and equitable for all who interact with Kettering Health including, but not limited to, students, patients, employees, and guests
- Creation of a safe and respectful environment where diversity and diverse opinions and perspectives are valued and respectfully considered
- Decision making that represents diversity of thought
- Workforce education and accountability to exemplify DEI principles
- Employee retention
- Patient care that is consistent with Kettering Health’s mission, vision, and values
Celebrating culture through food
Our culinary team will offer a few specialty options in April and May to honor Diversity Awareness Month at our facilities.
Week of April 10
Café Meals – Legim (Haitian beef stew) served over rice with Cajun garlic bread
Marinated beef and vegetable stew over white rice, served with a piece of zesty garlic bread
Week of April 24
Action station – Philippine Chicken Adobe by Ginafe Bibat and Pamela Albesa: Chicken adobe over stir-fried rice noodles served with a side of sugar snap peas
Cinco de Mayo, May 5
Chicken Al Pastor Taco: Diced chipotle chicken with pineapple slaw, Pico de Gallo, and avocado tomatillo salsa, served in a flour tortilla with a side of Mexican street corn
Meet the DEI team
In August 2022, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department–led by Bonnie Baker-Tattershall as director and Lenesia Boddie as manager–was established.
In her role, Bonnie draws from her background and previous work in the Dayton community. “My parents were entrepreneurs and civil rights activists,” she said. “I am blessed to have worked as a janitor, TV reporter and producer, director of the Mathile Community Fund, and Community Engagement Manager at Kettering Health. Regardless of the assignment, I seek to connect diverse communities with services and opportunities that transform lives.”
Bonnie combines her experiences with her passion of advocating for supplier diversity and equal access to healthcare, and in 2022, was recognized as Diversity Champion of the Year by the Dayton Business Journal.
After five years in a variety of HR roles, with responsibilities ranging from recruiting to on-campus support to employee relations, Lenesia saw an undeniable gap: a sense of belonging.
Lenesia volunteered her time to DEI as a one-person committee. “Many people I spoke to on this topic felt like they didn’t know where to start; I just wanted to start somewhere,” she said.
Her commitment paid off. She later received an opportunity to manage DEI at Kettering Health full time, and in 2022, she was highlighted as a young business leader through Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 program.
Through Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion for HR certification program, Lenesia learned proven strategies for implementing and managing a large-scale DEI program. “The way Lenesia structured the DEI program is grounded in evidenced-based best practices,” explained Bonnie.
The structure of our DEI program
Kettering Health’s DEI Department develops programs based on research from groups like the American Hospital Association, the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council, and other professional organizations. A strong and sustainable DEI program requires more than just two people, so Lenesia works with seven committees: Belonging, Branding and Awareness, Clinical, Community Outreach and Supplier Diversity, Diversity, Education, and HR. The committees are managed by Kettering Health leaders who are subject matter experts in the group’s specific area of focus. In total, nearly 100 employees serve on those committees and help carry out the DEI team’s goals throughout the organization.
DEI focus areas
Here are a couple of ways the seven committees are working to strengthen DEI at Kettering Health.
The Belonging team is focused on creating spaces and opportunities through a diversity counsel and DEI champions; employee resource groups like the Robert Patterson Unity Forum (RPUF), INSPIRE – Women in Leadership, and Kettering Health Young Professionals (KHYP); a leadership training program, and mentorship opportunities.
One of the goals of the Branding and Awareness team is to celebrate, educate, and inform employees about interesting and fun facts, spotlighting employees, education opportunities, community events, and partnering with local minority businesses during diversity awareness days and months.
Clinical team initiatives include a medical resident DEI curriculum, international employee onboarding and training, and interpretive services.
The Community team looks at ways to be more inclusive through supplier diversity, by recommending DEI-related sponsorships to network sponsorships council, creating relationships and partnerships with community organizations, and social determinants of health (barriers to care) in education, housing, and nutrition.
The Diversity team focuses diversity, equity, and inclusion through talent pools and pipelines such as the board, leadership, providers, and support and entry-level positions.
Education works to create voluntary ways for people to learn more about DEI. Some opportunities include book clubs, HealthStream classes, lunch and learns, and virtual workshops.
The HR team looks for opportunities throughout the HR process to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion through equity reviews, bias mitigation in the hiring process, general and local campus orientation, policy, and adding more information about DEI in the annual mandatory education.
Supporting DEI at Kettering Health
Stay up to date on education and volunteer opportunities, community events, and general updates with the monthly DEI e-newsletter delivered to all employees. If you have questions about Kettering Health’s DEI program or want to get involved, reach out to diversityequityinclusion@ketteringhealth.org
Thank you for taking time to celebrate Diversity Awareness Month with us. We hope that you enjoy the materials shared!