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Learning Histories
Many Hands, Many Voices It was also in 1996 that AALI began its relationship with Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center's People of Color group. In 1994 Saint Joseph's undertook an assessment of minority concerns, similar to Memorial's. Saint Joseph's was also seeing their population of minority management and administrators dwindle. This led them to the formation of the People of Color Workgroup, now renamed Organization of Diversity Work Group, led by Robert Jones, Organizational Diversity Officer. Bertha and Robert saw real potential for assisting both their internal and external communities by having their groups work together. As Robert Jones said when discussing the importance of Memorial and Saint Joseph's working together on diversity issues, "The African American community is growing and I think that it's important that we move forward together. This partnership shows that you can be separate organizations, separate entities and still work together for the best interests of the entire community." One of the major steps that these groups took together was to initiate a regional dinner meeting for African American physicians and dentists. The goal of the dinner was to provide networking as well as progressive healthcare strategies for improving the health of the entire community. This dinner also included African American nurses, pharmacists, and nutritionists. Most were surprised at the number of African American physicians, dentists and nurses who were working in the Michiana region. Dr. Vincent Knight, who arrived in the region not long before the first dinner commented, "The first dinner was well-done and well attended. It was an opportunity to meet other physicians and to learn what others were working on in the community. Not only does this allow for networking amongst the professionals, but also gives us the ability to direct patients to available programs." The momentum created from the success of the first dinner has led to two more highly successful events. Memorial and Saint Joseph's Third Annual Dinner in 1999 found members of the general public, state representatives and community leaders asking for tickets to be able to attend. The guest list has swelled from that first dinner and now includes physicians, CEOs and other officials from hospitals and health systems from Michigan and outlying communities. Memorial and Saint Joseph's had developed a simple and highly effective means of breaking down some of the walls which separated and isolated the African American medical community. Currently, neither the American Hospital Association nor the Volunteer Hospital Association have offices devoted to minority or diversity concerns. According to Carl Ellison, VP Memorial, "I don't have a lot of colleagues or peers of color that I can connect with on a regular basis when I attend a major conference. There may be 2000 people there and I will see fewer than 50 African Americans who will be working in positions similar or higher up than my own. In the struggle for advancement, African Americans who make it further up the ladder tend to feel more isolation." With isolation a clearly identified issue amongst minority healthcare professionals, an obvious question for organizations wishing to attract these individuals would be, ‘How do we create a diverse, supportive and welcoming community?’ The decline of the number of minorities in medical schools has created a population of professionals who can virtually choose their own destination. What would make them come to a city like South Bend or a region like Northern Indiana or Southern Michigan as opposed to major cities like Chicago, New York or Los Angeles? As Wally Johnson, Institute for Diversity in Health Management, Chicago, stated, "Organizations that publicize their programs, internships and other opportunities to students from a variety of backgrounds, are the ones who attract the best and most diverse talent." What would attract medical professionals to South Bend? The assurance that they would become part of a community of culturally diverse and competent peers. What Memorial and Saint Joseph’s decided upon was another collaboration. At the urging of the members of the annual physician's dinner, the hospitals began to develop a directory of African American Health Care Professionals. Completed in 1999, the book's forward, signed by Philip Newbold, President and CEO, Memorial Health System and Robert Beyer, President and CEO, Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, states, "To celebrate diversity in an innovative, flexible and ethical way, Memorial Health System and Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center have collaborated to develop a 1999 African American Healthcare Professionals Directory. We recognize that there is strength in diversity and our employees reflect that we value and respect all people." Containing some ninety-seven individuals, the book also lists minority programs in St. Joseph County including the Black Nurses Association of St. Joseph County, African American Aids Ministry and the St. Joseph County Minority Health Coalition. The majority of the physician, dentist and pharmacist listings are also accompanied by a photograph, contact information, medical background and board certification. To the excitement of both organizations, the book has generated such great interest that it is already in need of updating and expansion. The book has meant different things to everyone connected to the project, but most compelling perhaps is the importance attached to it by Carl Ellison. He believes, "The directory is historic, it marks a place in time. The directory is a measurement for the end of a millennium and a benchmark for the community as we go into the future." For those who concern themselves with issues of diversity, the future is an intriguing prospect. Certain studies point toward the complete elimination of a cultural or ethnic majority in the United States by the end of this next century. In the meantime, AALI is looking for means by which to make itself stronger and increase its impact in both the broader community and Memorial's internal community. Plans are even in place for the addition of a Hispanic Initiative Coordinator who would work with the ever increasing number of Latinos in the hospital/ health system's workforce. According to AALI Coordinator Bertha King: "Memorial is on the cutting edge of outreach, not only are we reaching out, but we are creating a ‘healthier community’ within our organization. I want us to get to a point where we are so culturally competent that we don't need AALI or a Hispanic Initiative. I want Memorial to get to a point where diversity will be woven into our culture." |
