I have had the great fortune of living in this community for more than 20 years and, in that time, I have seen changes in the make-up of our neighbors and community members. For example, there has been an increase in our population of people of color, a gradual increase in foreign-born Winona County residents, a broader spectrum of gender expression, and there have long been people in our community who experience socioeconomic disadvantages. Given that there is less population growth in rural communities we often believe we are relatively homogenous as a community culture (for example, white, straight, midwestern, middle class, Christian). However, that has been changing. Perhaps it is due to our community being increasingly active in welcoming newcomers, the wonderful, vibrant, student population that flows in and out of Winona each year, new community members through businesses recruiting new employees and families, or others who have found the beauty and/or the relatively lower cost of living in this area an ideal place to call home. Whatever the reasons, we are becoming a more diverse community. Winona Health reflects our community and, as such, we embrace this evolution and want to ensure we are an inclusive and diverse organization that provides the most equitable care. To do this in the best way possible, we have engaged in education to better understand issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Based on state and national data, Minnesota is among the states that have the deepest racial disparity. This realization isn’t new, but it is a painful reality that healthcare must reckon with, and over the last few years, we have established an intentional approach to diversity, equity and inclusion training with the guidance of people who are experts in this work. We’ve identified racial, gender/sexuality, and socioeconomic difference as some of the “differences that make the most difference” in healthcare, and these are areas in which we’re actively working to identify and remove barriers to equitable care. We have heard a lot about the consequences of being blind, ignorant or uncaring toward these issues. Diversity, equity and inclusion are not buzzwords. To be clear, we are all working hard to do the right thing – the challenge becomes deeply understanding that “right thing” and what might stand in the way, such as unconscious bias. We all have biases, formed through our personal lived experiences and cultural teaching. Additionally, many have been on the receiving end of various biases (prejudice because of color, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, sex, gender, identity, religion…) and felt the discomfort, or worse, danger, that it can create. Tackling the deep issues of diversity, equity and inclusion takes time, attention, leadership, and heart. We need to become as fully self-aware as possible so we learn to recognize biases so deeply ingrained within us that they are simply part of us. And after self-awareness, the most important next step, is change. Change not only on a personal level, but also change to the systems that have long been inequitable. At Winona Health we have engaged a large group of colleagues and providers across all departments to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training and use their knowledge and skills immediately. Our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Allyship) team, who is leading this work, continues to look into other systems and process – such as policies, signage, marketing materials and more – to advance this work more deeply across all of Winona Health. We have to learn, do, and teach as the saying goes, and we are doing just that. As a community healthcare organization, we touch nearly every person in our community in some way. Our deeply caring and compassionate staff and providers see people in many states of being – and our patients expect and appreciate that. But we are elevating this good work even more. The greatest value of this commitment and intentional training is our growing awareness of our personal perspectives and our ability to deepen our care and compassion. If you have thoughts you’d like to share related to this issue and how we can improve at Winona Health, please feel free to share with us at info@winonahealth.org.
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