Wellstar Take Action Against Structural Racism
The Issue
Date: August 23, 2020
To: CEO Candice Saunders, the Wellstar Board of Trustees, and the Wellstar Community
We physicians and allies, as leaders at Wellstar and the community (the undersigned), write in solidarity to implore our organization to take action against structural racism that exists in our organization and country.
To fulfill our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve, it is imperative that every member of the Wellstar team feel safe, supported, and have an equally valued voice. It is time to acknowledge that our Black and Brown physicians and team members are in pain, and that we must stop treating anti-racism work as an extracurricular. Every employee, particularly those in leadership must make this fundamental shift to affirm that anti-racism and D&I work is as essential as hitting our FY2021 finance goals.
In line with other organizations who have successfully made changes and a commitment to anti-racism, we fully expect that Wellstar pledge to address structural racism through, but not limited to, the following definitive actions:
1. We fully expect that Wellstar state publicly that Black Lives Matter.
2. We fully expect a restructuring of the VP and Chief of Diversity and Inclusion role. The current Diversity and Inclusion function has not rendered tangible gains for our culture at Wellstar including equitable treatment of all team members. This position must be empowered by funding and governance to make systemic change that can break structurally racist practices without repercussion. This position should directly report to our CEO and an independent counsel of Wellstar employees predominantly made up of persons of color.
3. We fully expect comprehensive transparency on a quarterly basis of the ongoing work to address not only diversity and inclusion issues, but also issues of equity, justice, and structural racism among employees and the patients under our care and throughout the organization. At minimum, our strategic plan to address racism should be internally available to all, and include data to show the percentage of persons of color among all major job levels as well as a hiring plan which addresses the reduction and elimination of the unconscious bias found in our current hiring practices. Briefings on progress to address racism should be presented by the CEO and VP for Diversity and Inclusion via teleconference for the entire organization quarterly.
4. We fully expect that Wellstar improve its treatment of Black and Brown physicians and all other team members. Wellstar must strengthen its efforts to recruit and retain Black employees, particularly in leadership roles. All those in hiring positions should be incentivized to build diverse leadership teams and this should be a part of their performance review with financial implications.
5. We fully expect a committed and exhaustive effort to achieve board representation that represents the diversity of our employees, particularly people of color and women. We also expect that this is done in an accelerated and timely manner.
Every day we physicians put on our battle gear and head to our clinics and hospitals. Many of us stand in front of our colleagues on the frontlines of COVID, and many of us are Black and Brown. When the system’s resiliency plan was released, we cringed silently as it was a plan only for financial health, not the health of our actual, personal lives. Instead of discussing racism, we have been talked to about diversity and inclusion. And instead of a public statement affirming that Black Lives Matter, we have been silenced by your silence. There is no way to stay neutral when it comes to racism, and your physicians, who pledge to do no harm, are being hurt.
Racism is an issue solved only when those in power primarily take up the charge, not when those who are Black and Brown and have been discriminated against are tasked to solve this issue. Thus, we directly urge the Wellstar Board of Trustees and Wellstar Officers to address the issue of structural racism, to take ownership, and to invoke timely and meaningful change.
As physicians and allies, we strive to do no harm, to comfort those in need, and allow our patients to live their best lives. We are taking this courageous step to make our commitments to each other clear when it comes to structural racism in Wellstar. We call on our organization to put weight behind its words. If Wellstar’s mission truly is to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve and our vision is to honor every voice, these reasonable expectations should readily be brought to fruition without exception or hesitation.
This should go without needing to be said, however it has gone unsaid: Black Lives Matter.
In Solidarity,
The Issue
Date: August 23, 2020
To: CEO Candice Saunders, the Wellstar Board of Trustees, and the Wellstar Community
We physicians and allies, as leaders at Wellstar and the community (the undersigned), write in solidarity to implore our organization to take action against structural racism that exists in our organization and country.
To fulfill our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve, it is imperative that every member of the Wellstar team feel safe, supported, and have an equally valued voice. It is time to acknowledge that our Black and Brown physicians and team members are in pain, and that we must stop treating anti-racism work as an extracurricular. Every employee, particularly those in leadership must make this fundamental shift to affirm that anti-racism and D&I work is as essential as hitting our FY2021 finance goals.
In line with other organizations who have successfully made changes and a commitment to anti-racism, we fully expect that Wellstar pledge to address structural racism through, but not limited to, the following definitive actions:
1. We fully expect that Wellstar state publicly that Black Lives Matter.
2. We fully expect a restructuring of the VP and Chief of Diversity and Inclusion role. The current Diversity and Inclusion function has not rendered tangible gains for our culture at Wellstar including equitable treatment of all team members. This position must be empowered by funding and governance to make systemic change that can break structurally racist practices without repercussion. This position should directly report to our CEO and an independent counsel of Wellstar employees predominantly made up of persons of color.
3. We fully expect comprehensive transparency on a quarterly basis of the ongoing work to address not only diversity and inclusion issues, but also issues of equity, justice, and structural racism among employees and the patients under our care and throughout the organization. At minimum, our strategic plan to address racism should be internally available to all, and include data to show the percentage of persons of color among all major job levels as well as a hiring plan which addresses the reduction and elimination of the unconscious bias found in our current hiring practices. Briefings on progress to address racism should be presented by the CEO and VP for Diversity and Inclusion via teleconference for the entire organization quarterly.
4. We fully expect that Wellstar improve its treatment of Black and Brown physicians and all other team members. Wellstar must strengthen its efforts to recruit and retain Black employees, particularly in leadership roles. All those in hiring positions should be incentivized to build diverse leadership teams and this should be a part of their performance review with financial implications.
5. We fully expect a committed and exhaustive effort to achieve board representation that represents the diversity of our employees, particularly people of color and women. We also expect that this is done in an accelerated and timely manner.
Every day we physicians put on our battle gear and head to our clinics and hospitals. Many of us stand in front of our colleagues on the frontlines of COVID, and many of us are Black and Brown. When the system’s resiliency plan was released, we cringed silently as it was a plan only for financial health, not the health of our actual, personal lives. Instead of discussing racism, we have been talked to about diversity and inclusion. And instead of a public statement affirming that Black Lives Matter, we have been silenced by your silence. There is no way to stay neutral when it comes to racism, and your physicians, who pledge to do no harm, are being hurt.
Racism is an issue solved only when those in power primarily take up the charge, not when those who are Black and Brown and have been discriminated against are tasked to solve this issue. Thus, we directly urge the Wellstar Board of Trustees and Wellstar Officers to address the issue of structural racism, to take ownership, and to invoke timely and meaningful change.
As physicians and allies, we strive to do no harm, to comfort those in need, and allow our patients to live their best lives. We are taking this courageous step to make our commitments to each other clear when it comes to structural racism in Wellstar. We call on our organization to put weight behind its words. If Wellstar’s mission truly is to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve and our vision is to honor every voice, these reasonable expectations should readily be brought to fruition without exception or hesitation.
This should go without needing to be said, however it has gone unsaid: Black Lives Matter.
In Solidarity,
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Petition created on August 23, 2020