At the 2021 HIROC Conference, we had the honour of hearing from Marni Panas, Program Manager of Diversity and Inclusion with Alberta Health Services (AHS). This episode is a recording of that incredibly information session, edited for length.

While walking delegates through the work she and her team have done at AHS, Marni connected diversity and inclusion to patient safety and risk mitigation. Much of that work has meant collaborating with staff – involving them in policy, educational initiatives, and celebrations.

We encourage you to share this episode with healthcare Human Resources and leadership teams. Marni and her colleagues have found that leaders want to support these important conversations but either don’t know how, or don’t have the language to do so. But if we want to change culture, we need to start here.

Quotables:

“We also know that in a world of healthcare, having people bring their whole selves increases innovation, creativity (which is something healthcare depends on), and all of this has a direct impact on patient safety, patient experience, and patient outcomes.” – MP

“An investment [in] diversity and inclusion is an investment in risk mitigation.” – MP

“We know that one of the most effective ways of reducing discrimination is being able to see yourself in your healthcare system, being able to see yourself in your leadership.” – MP

“We can do all the education that we want but if the systems themselves aren’t supporting an inclusive environment or providing inclusive care, then we’re not going to make a lot of impact.” – MP

“It is the system that creates an environment and a culture where leaders feel supported, and workers feel empowered to be inclusive and anti-racist.” – MP

“We want to celebrate diversity as a strength in our organization.” – MP

“In this time of COVID we cannot be oblivious to all the other impacts on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues, our patients, our families.”  – Dr. Verna Yiu

“Leaders at all levels, especially our frontline leaders, play a vital role in changing culture.” – MP

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Alberta Health Services
• AHS – Diversity and Inclusion
• AHS – Connect Care
• Marni Panas
• Canadian Institute for Health Information
• World Health Organization

Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

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