Inclusive Culture

University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and respect for the similarities and differences in our community.

In order to do this, we created an Office of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion within M Physicians, working closely with the Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Medical School and partnering with Fairview Health Services. Additionally, we have asked each of our Board committees to develop diversity and equity initiatives.

Our intent is to make meaningful and lasting change, so we need to begin defining what change looks like and taking steps to achieve it. Our goal is to effect change on inequities in our organization and the communities we serve.

Mission:

We strive to create an atmosphere where differences are valued and celebrated, knowing institutional diversity fuels the advancement of knowledge, promotes improved patient care and fosters excellence. We especially strive to have our community better reflect the broad range of identities in our state, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, national origin, religious practice, and socioeconomic status.

Value:

Create an Inclusive, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) environment where each person feels empowered, engaged, connected, accepted and respected. 

Goal:

Empower and support an Inclusive, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) environment by focusing on internal staff competence as a way to best serve our community.

M Physicians Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace.

  • ERGs are…Inclusive. Your ERG’s lunch table should have a seat for everyone.
  • ERGs are…Willing to share knowledge and perspective.
  • ERGs are…Development-focused, whether it’s leadership, collaboration, relationship building, etc.
  • ERGs are…Active.

  • Asian Heritage Network (AHN)

    The Asian Heritage Network is dedicated to developing an inclusive environment that considers the many different dimensions of diversity with special focus on culture, ranging from values and preferences to beliefs and communication styles. Our focus is to create and cultivate a supportive environment, not only within our organization, but for our patients and communities as well.

  • Black Initiative Network (BIN)

    The Black Initiative Network was created to provide individualized support and resources to Black and African American members. The group also raises awareness about the current adversities Black and African American employees face in the workplace and world at large. Beyond the workplace, we also aim to build trust in underserved communities by providing relevant resources and information for the populations we serve.

  • Cross-Cultural Leadership Network (CCLN)

    The Cross-Cultural Leadership Network seeks to foster a culture of growth and opportunities for people of color to advance their career. Through addressing the complexities of identity and intersectionality, we set our members up for success and support them throughout their journeys. We are also working to update our system’s hiring practices, ensuring we are creating a diverse workforce representative of the people we serve.

  • Facilitators of Unity and Strengtheners of Inclusivity of Nursing (FUSION)

    FUSION aims to raise awareness among nursing staff and nursing leaders of racial/ethnic disparities within our system, increase the presence of diverse professional nurses, and assure cultural competence for all nursing staff.

  • pride alliance network

    Pride Alliance Group for Equality (PAGE)

    PAGE is made up of members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community and is dedicated to developing and cultivating an inclusive and diverse environment for our people, patients, and community. 

  • Comunidades Latinas for Engagement Advancement and Development (LEAD)

    Comunidades Latinas for Engagement Advancement and Development (LEAD)

    LEAD is comprised of Latine identifying staff and allies who aim is to celebrate and honor our heritage, while building upon our experiences by sharing knowledge and strengthens community relationships. LEAD's mission is to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment where our Hispanic and Latine Communities can thrive and contribute to the success of the organization by promoting cultural awareness, professional development, and community engagement. We strive to create meaningful and lasting change that promotes leadership through collaboration and unity.

ERGs focus on impacting four important areas: Community Connection, Organizational Impact, Meaningful Change, and People Development.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Enhance our understanding of, and connection to, the communities we serve while generating awareness of M Health Fairview as an employer and care provider. ERGs will:

  • Participate in or host one community event annually

ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT

Inspire new thinking, enhance skills, and increase knowledge of patient and employee populations throughout the organization through perspective sharing and resources. ERGs will:

  • Share their unique perspectives to broaden the understanding and thinking of our people
  • Share useful resources about the ERG’s population that can be accessed by anyone in the organization
  • Share ERG achievements with the Executive Leadership Team on an annual basis

MEANINGFUL CHANGE

Discover possibilities to make incremental, positive change in our organization and suggest potential solutions. ERGs will:

  • Suggest a solution to an identified gap or opportunity that enables our organization to better serve the ERG population

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT

Connect and develop people through the ERG experience by networking and providing educational opportunities. ERGs will:

  • Host an education event focused on serving patients and/or employees of the ERG population on an annual basis
  • Build relationships by holding an annual ERG member networking event focused on connecting and sharing resources

Our Model

At M Physicians we take a Solution Focused Approach to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility by focusing on supporting and providing opportunities for our employees to foster a deeper understanding and help raise awareness of how inequities  has affected us all.  It provides an opportunity to begin the process of working across culture, class and life experience to become allies who engage in the process of learning and healing, which is necessary to counteract the effects of interpersonal, institutional and systemic inequities.

We believe that our organization should model life; it is our responsibility to provide opportunities that allow each individual to grow with the capacity to positively contribute to the work environment. Utilizing a strength-based approach that emphasizes individual strength but neither solely as an academic model nor in an unrealistically pure fashion – because doing so would deny individuals important learning opportunities. This model requires us to focus on our strength to create a community that will have beginnings rather than endings and with goals that are attainable within the context of our work environment. It is this understanding that will create an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable and Accessible environment where each person feels empowered, engaged, connected, accepted and respected. 

Model adapted from:  Pittman, K., Irby, M., Tolman, J., Yohalem, N., & Ferber, T. (2003). Preventing problems, promoting development, encouraging engagement: competing priorities or inseparable goals?

Resources

Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

The IDI assist in understanding and recognizing the various levels of cultural awareness, inclusion and engagement within our organization by assessing our capability to shift cultural perspective to cultural difference and commonality along a continuum.

IDEA Series

This IDE Series is designed to have open and honest conversations around Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility topics. Courses can be taken as a series or individually.

  • Starting the Conversation
  • Let's Talk About Privilege
  • The Impact of Language
  • Implicit Bias
  • Where Do We Go From Here?