University of Michigan Health-West is committed to improve the health and well-being of our communities – all members of our communities. Unfortunately, we know health disparities continue to exist and health care is not equitable among all people. Therefore, our commitment must go further than a statement, it’s our moral obligation.
UM Health-West pledges to better understand and eliminate health care disparities, and dismantle institutional racism, to achieve health equity and advance inclusion. As Dr. Ibram Kendi said, “we are either being racist or antiracist, there is no middle ground.” UM Health-West is committed to antiracism. Through implementation of the following actions, we believe we will prompt cultural change within our hospital system and our communities-at-large:
- Increase the collection and use of race, ethnicity, language preference and other socio-demographic data;
- Assess and act on identified gaps in health care;
- Improve cultural competency development among our teammates;
- Increase diversity in leadership, management and governance;
- Expand and strengthen our partnerships with local community groups across cultural backgrounds and underserved or underrepresented populations; and
- Advocate for state and federal legislation to ensure a safe and equitable environment for both patients and healthcare professionals.
Through these intentional efforts, UM Health-West will realize our vision of taking health care to a better place for all people.
UM Health-West has also signed the MHA and AHA pledges to affirm our leadership-driven commitment to antiracism.